Give My Heart, Give My Soul
by Ixchel-of-Palenque
Summary: "These are more then stars Malfoy. They are a story. The stars can tell you of things that have been, things that will be and everything in between, if only one cares to read the story."
1. Chapter 1

**Hey,**

**I haven't forgotten about my other stories, especially "The Heart of the Ocean". I'm waiting for my computer to come back (hopefully) in tact from the IT place. This story has been nagging at me for longer then "THofO", ever since i heard the song "_Jillian (I'd Give My Heart)"_ and i had to sit down and at least start it. Let me know what you think about this chapter, not alot actually happens but then again it is only the beginning!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor it's characters which i am using to my own enjoyment. Nor do i own the song to which this fic inspired me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter one<strong>

It was sunset and the sun's full orb were mere inches from touching the lake. The rays of sunlight danced upon the ripples of the darkened waters causing the tiny ripples to be capped with gold light. A light breeze brushed past the late autumn leaves causing several of the dying leaves to fall to earth to complete the natural cycle of life. Several students of the school nearby were walking into the building, a castle, hidden from the eyes of Muggles. If one was standing at the lakes edge and looked up towards one of the towers on the castle one would see a young lady sitting at the window looking out to watch the beauty of nature.

There was nothing remarkable about this young lady. She had slightly bushy hair, a plain face that was slightly pale and if one looked closely would see that her nose was scattered in tiny freckles. It was hard to believe that she could be different to any of the other students at school. She had dark secret which she had carried around with her for all her life.

Hermione Granger should have been doing her homework and she normally would be at this time of day however she could not concentrate. Her friends, Harry and Ron, were in the Great Hall having dinner in which soon after they would head to the Quidditch field to practice with the Gryffindor team for an upcoming match against Ravenclaw. She closed the transfiguration textbook that was resting in her lap and looked out the window one last time, watching as the sun sank below the horizon and out of sight. Closing her eyes, she tried to gather the last warmth of the dying rays of light, however much in vain it might have been. She stood up and walked towards the girls dormitories which she shared with Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil, her fellow seventh year students.

When inside the bedroom she made her way to the trunk at the end of her bed, opened it, and placed the textbook inside. She looked around the room making sure no one else was with her when she turned back to the trunk and moved aside some of her school clothes, revealing a false bottom of the trunk. Once again she looked around the room to make sure she was alone before opening the bottom and pulling out a small black book, a diary. There was nothing unusual about the diary she just did not want her roommates to find it knowing how much gossip that would cause throughout the school. She pulled out a wand and cast the counter charm unlock the diary. Hermione whispered 'accio' and summoned a quill and ink to her side before filling in the next blank page with a quick message about what the day had comprised of. Her daily ritual, always completed at the same time each day and had been done so since before she could really remember sitting down to write it.

An hour passed, and then two and three and still she wrote. She made sure to get down every small detail of what happened during the day, not wanting to forget a thing even though her memory was still as sharp as ever and even if it were about mundane matters. Soon, the other girls made their way into the dormitories and Hermione was sure to hide the little black book from the others, pretending that she had been studying the whole time with her books, parchment, quills and ink spread out on the bed or floating in front of her.

Soon the other girls had changed and settled into their beds, but were gossiping about the which boy was the hottest at Hogwarts or who wore the trendiest clothes that day - in actuality, everyone had wore school robes that day, so they were discussing who had the shortest skirt - Pansy Parkinson or Daphne Greengrass (when in fact it was Lavender Brown herself who had the shortest skirt that day)

Hermione ignored the gossiping, completely used to being able to tune out background noise, a skill she had picked up over the years, when eventually the dormitory filled with only the sounds of Hermione's quill scratching on the parchment accompanied by the light snoring of the other girls in the room. It was only then that she brought her head up to survey the room. Lavender and Pavarti were both completely dead to the world asleep in their world of dreams where the prince's would rescue the distressed damsel.

Quietly Hermione shuffled her paperwork away, placing the books and stacks of parchment onto the trunk at the end of the bed. She stood up from the bed, the age worn springs of the mattress groaning with the moment, and moved back to the window that she had abandoned before. She braced her hands of the bottom of the sill and stretched as close to the window as she could so she could try to see as much of the sky as she could.

Hermione sighed and stood back up when she realised that she could not see what she wanted to and that a trip to the top of the castle would be necessary. She glanced at the clock that hung above the door in the room, noticing that the time was well into the night and very obviously past curfew.

She moved silently back to her trunk and grabbed a warm cloak to protect her from the chill of the night as she made her way out of the room, making sure that the other girls were still asleep. She placed the cloak over her shoulders and clipped it into place as she descended the stairs into the main common room, hoping that no one was currently in there. As she stepped into the main commons she breathed a small sigh of relief that it was empty. She made her way to the portrait that guarded the hidden room and slipped out without waking The Fat Lady from her drunken slumber.

Hermione pulled the hood of her cloak over her head as she made her way down the winding corridors of the castle towards her destination, making sure to avoid as many of the main passageways as possible so not to be spotted by the patrolling prefects and teachers. She finally reached the foot of the staircase that wound it's way up the tallest tower in the building and began the long climb up to the top.

It wasn't long until she reached the door that opened up to the top of the tower. She opened the door and walked through as silent as she had made her way through the castle. Closing the door she made her way to the edge of the tower, away from where the roof protected those underneath from the elements so she could have a clear unobstructed view of the starry sky above.

Not many knew, in fact what no one knew, was that this young woman was most adept at reading the stars, as she had done so for her whole life. Everyone thought that she hated Divination because of the teacher and that there was no real and practical use for such a subject but they couldn't be further from the truth. Oh, she still hated the subject, just not for the reason that everyone thought.

Hermione studied the sky for long moments searching for one star in particular. Most of the time she liked to believe that her life wasn't ruled by these heavenly beings and that she was free to live her own life, but deep down she knew that she would never be free of them. Finally she found the star she had been looking for, almost hidden right by the constellation of Draco, and she laughed at the irony. Her star, one that should rarely be seen, was glowing dimly next to the namesake of one of her hated enemies.

Hermione shook her head in amusement as she looked away from her star. Did they think that this was going to upset her life? After all that she had been through? She looked back to her star and noticed that it was shining brighter. She sighed, as she finally realised what they were trying to tell her. Hermione did some rapid calculations in her head to try and figure out the when of what they were trying to tell her, by using the changes she had observed over the last couple of days to her star. After three attempts and all reaching the same answer, she gave up. It was too soon.

'Only one month left.' she whispered, her words being taken by the slight breeze that danced around the top of the tower. She had never noticed while she was star gazing that someone had joined her on the tower.

"One would think that you would learn, wouldn't you Granger?" said the other person who had joined her on the tower. "This is the third time that I have caught you up here this month. As prefect I should give you detention, and house points taken off."

"Good Evening Malfoy." She said not turning around to face the pale man who was leaning on the wall of the tower next to the door where she came out from, and continued to read the stars. "Or should I say Good Morning, since it is past midnight?"

"You know, I can never tell how you know the time when there is no clock around and you never wear a watch. But then again you are a know-it-all after all." he said, pushing himself off the wall and making his way to the stargazing woman.

"I have my ways Malfoy." she replied, looking at him briefly when he joined her on the battlements, looking up at the same stars that graced the skies every night, before looking back at her star.

"You know, I don't know what you see in these stars." he said, scanning the heavens, not really looking for anything in particular. "I mean they are just stars."

Hermione shook her head at his comment and turned to look at him in the face. While she hated him and couldn't understand why he was standing here with her on the tower in a seemingly civil conversation, she couldn't deny that he was a handsome man. Gone was the pointy featured boy of eleven which was replaced by a well bred young man with aristocratic features. His pale blond hair seemed to almost glow slightly in the moonlight and Hermione had to bite back a laugh and what they were trying to do.

"These are more then stars Malfoy. They are a story. The stars can tell you of things that have been, things that will be and everything in between, if only one cares to read the story." She looked back to the sky one last time before pushing herself away from the wall, turning and heading to the door.

"I really should report you for breaking curfew you know." said Malfoy whose back was to her. Hermione gave a half smile to which he couldn't see.

"But doing that would also reveal that you are out after hours as well. Plus I am Head Girl compared to your prefect status." she said as she opened the door that lead to the staircase. Just as she was about to step through the door he spoke up again.

"Only one more month for what?" She paused, thinking for a moment before continuing down the stairs. Her last words echoing around the battlements.

"Read the stars and you'll find out."


	2. Chapter 2

Here is chapter two, and hopefully i get some reviews from you guys! I was quite sad when i didn't get any. :(

This chapter didn't go the way that i expected it too at all! But i much prefer this over what was originally going to be here.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from JK Rowling. There is also a few lines that will be scattered through the story that belong to the song _**'Jillian (I'd Give My Heart)'**_ by Within Temptation - particularly the prophecy, which is the chorus.

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

The sky was beginning to lighten as dawn approached. Hermione sat and watched the fading stars from the window seat on which she sat at when she returned from the astronomy tower and her encounter with Draco Malfoy. She had not slept at all that night, just like the previous nights before. She could never sleep and on the rare occasions that she did she had nightmares that would leave her screaming. They were of painful memories that she wanted to forget.

The last star finally disappeared as the sun began to rise over the horizon, the clouds taking on a slight golden tinge. She sighed and got up from her vigil at the window to ready for the day. Walking up the stairs she unclipped and slid off the cloak that she was wearing and hung it over her arm.

As she readied herself for the day her thoughts wandered over what she had learnt last night from the stars. They had told her that there was only one month left and that Draco Malfoy played a large part in what was to happen. Hermione didn't know what to think of this information. What did Malfoy know and what was his part? Was history to repeat itself? A thousand questions flowed through her mind and none were answered.

When she finished getting dressed she picked up her bag and headed back down to the common room to meet with Harry and Ron. The two boys, no men, were a far cry from the young boys that they had been just over a year ago. The war had changed them. It had changed everyone.

When the war was over, and Harry was victorious over the Dark Lord Voldemort, wizarding Britain celebrated. Even the muggles had noticed that the atmosphere wasn't as dark as it had been over the last months and some had celebrated, to what they didn't know but they celebrated none the less.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had become heroes but they tried to stay out of the spotlight that was thrust upon them. They had suffered, as had most of the wizarding world, but they wanted to just be together to heal the emotional and physical wounds that they had suffered. Harry with the loss of many great friends, and the emotional toll of finally defeating the greatest dark wizard of the age. Ron had to deal with the loss of his older brother Fred and Hermione had to try and find her parents and recover physically and psychologically from the torture that she had received by the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange at Malfoy Manor.

The three had decided that they wanted some form of normalcy after suffering through the war and had agreed that they would return to Hogwarts for their final year, despite the numerous job offers that each had received. When they had boarded the train the trio noticed that many of their school mates had returned to Hogwarts with the same idea as them. A return to a semblance of normalcy.

The opening banquet was not a loud or as rambunctious as previous years as the students and teacher were finally able to see who had actually made it through the war and who hadn't. The empty places at the tables were a reminder of those that had been lost and a moments silence was held for them in remembrance.

While the year had so far been quieter then any other had been in previous years, due to the war, the only issues that arose had to do with the Slytherin's. This time however it wasn't the Slytherin's who were the problem, instead they were the ones being belittled and sneered at by many of the students, particularly the older students in all houses, due to either their involvement in the war or their parents. This was slowly dying down as the year moved on but problems still occurred and had to be dealt with.

Hermione waited for the two men in the common room and no more then a few minutes after her own arrival they made their entrance into the room. Greetings were exchanged as they headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Hermione, did you get any sleep last night?" asked Harry as they made their way down a corridor. "You have black rings under your eyes again." Hermione hung her head slightly and tried not to look at him.

"I'm sorry Harry. I didn't. I know I said that I would but I just can't. There are too many memories that keep me awake at night." she said.

"Hermione this isn't healthy at all, you need to sleep." said Ron, concerned for his friend. "Maybe if you take some dreamless sleep potion you might be able to sleep." Hermione shook her head at his suggestion.

"I can't Ron. You know the effects of long term use of that potion and I fear that once I start to take it I will become so reliant on it that I will never get a proper nights sleep without it."

"Oh Hermione," sighed Harry. "I know that you worry that you will become addicted to the potion, but maybe just for one night you can take it and get some rest. For us please?" He tried to pull her into a sideways hug as they walked down the corridor.

"I can't Harry, I'm not like you." she sighed. "I have memories that you can't even begin to imagine. They haunt me throughout the day but at night they won't let me rest. My biggest fear that even the dreamless sleep potion wont be able to stop them from coming when I close my eyes."

"We all have memories that haunt us Hermione." said Harry, trying to comfort his friend. "We all suffered in this war, some more then others. Luna for example was trapped in that cellar for months being tortured for information on us. Yet somehow she is still able to sleep at night."

"Her nightmares don't wake the whole tower from her screams Harry." pointed out Hermione. At the beginning of term she when she could sleep, it was broken by her screams which would wake the whole of Gryffindor tower. After the fifth night of broken silencing spells, Hermione decided that she would sleep as little as possible to allow the others to sleep, only falling asleep when completely exhausted.

"And yours don't either Hermione." stated Harry.

"That's because I haven't slept in an age Harry." sighed Hermione, finally deciding about coming clean with how long it had been since she had last slept. "I don't think I have slept for over a week now Harry. I know I need it, my body is screaming at me to rest but I can't. I don't want to wake everyone up again."

"What about before that? We haven't been woken up since just after the beginning of term." asked Ron as they descended down as staircase, making sure to skip the trick stair.

"Because I haven't been sleeping in the tower when I finally do get to sleep." confessed Hermione. "Normally I fall asleep in the library, practically passing out with exhaustion."

"Hermione..." started Harry, unsure of what to say.

"I'm fine guys. Really. I've been working on trying to get some rest. I promise." she said. She came up with an idea that would hopefully alleviate their worry. "If you want in can go to Madame Pomfrey and see if she will let me sleep in the infirmary for the night and we can find out if the potion will work or not." She watched out of the corner of her eye as the boys thought over the idea.

"Whatever you think is best Hermione, we just want you sleep again without having any nightmares anymore." said Ron, Harry nodded his agreement.

"Go to Madam Pomfrey and take the potion. See what happens. If it works then brilliant, keep taking it and slowly wean yourself off it but if it doesn't work then we will have to try to find something else."

"Thanks Guys. I know you worry about me, and I worry about both of you as well. This will resolve itself in time. I know it will." she said as they reached the Great Hall. The trio walked in and took their seat at the Gryffindor table. The trio had become used to the gawking and silent awe that the other students, particularly the younger students, would give them, and had grown adept at ignoring it.

Breakfast passed in a frenzy of colour a sound for Hermione, her mind now off what the stars had shown her and onto a slightly more pressing issue, her need to sleep. As she had said to Harry and Ron, she had not slept in days, and she could not remember when she had last had a full nights rest, or even a night of sleep without the nightmares.

Her eyes wandered over the students gathered in the hall talking and laughing amongst themselves, when her eyes caught a flash of blond. Malfoy. She paused in her perusal of the hall and looked at him and she noticed that he was looking directly at her, a curious expression on his face. As if he was trying to figure something out and all of a sudden last night came crashing back into her mind and her need for sleep forgotten. She wondered if he actually did as she had told him and attempted to read the stars. Not many could, the finer details of the art lost long ago except to a select few around the globe and the centaurs, and she knew that the centaurs would never reveal the skill to humans.

She knew that Malfoy, with his stubborn and determined attitude, might be able to read the stars but it would take him years to finally master the art form and by then what was to happen would be long past and be but a memory.

Hermione looked away and bent over to grab her bag signalling to the boys that it was time to head to potions. The boys had become used to Hermione being able to know when it was time to do something without a watch or a clock nearby. To them it was just another thing that made her Hermione. She would never tell how she knew what time it was, that was a part of a secret that she never wanted to reveal to them, but knew that she would have to tell them something soon. After all there was only one month left.

The trio headed to the potions classroom in the dungeons where Professor Slughorn was waiting for them. Everyone had expected that he would retire after the war but he had decided that he would stay for another couple of years to help with the rebuilding of Hogwarts, as there were still sections of the castle that were being repaired. Area's like the Room of Requirement would never be fully fixed as there was too much damage to the magical structure and so the staff had slowly been putting the castle back together brick by brick the muggle way. The magic that would flow through these sections of the castle would never be back to the levels that had flowed through them before the war. The castle would never be the same again.

They entered the classroom and took their seats. Over the last couple of lessons they had been working on a potion that would show the potioneer a few lines about themselves. Professor Slughorn had said that they would receive a deeper glimpse into their personalities, a potion similar in magic to the sorting hat. He had also said that, like the sorting hat, some may receive a small prophecy, however this was very rare. The class was expecting to finish the potion today, and they would read out what their potions said, if it was made correctly. So far nearly everyone had their potions right, some students only a step or two behind.

Hermione pulled out her text book and the last of the ingredients that she needed to complete the potion and waited for the class to arrive and start. Harry was sitting on her left and Ron on Harry's other side. She opened her book and read through the potion once again to make sure that it would be completed correctly. Finally after another five minutes the rest of the class had taken a seat and Professor Slughorn went over the potion once again, reminding the students that they would be reading out the potions result when completed.

Hermione set to work, taking the status charm of the cauldron and adding the first of the last lot of ingredients. She was nervous and was wondering what to expect from the potion. She remembered years ago what the sorting hat had said to her. It was the only thing that knew the truth of what she had tried to keep secret for so many years, so far successfully.

The first hour of the class passed quietly, with only a few words exchanged between the class and the professor making comments on the potions. It was a third of the way through the second hour that people started to finish the potions. Hermione added the last ingredient to the potion before turning counter-clockwise three times, the potion turning a pale silver, similar to a pensieve. She placed her ladle down and looked over the text book once more before looking at the rest of the class. The majority of them finishing their potions now. She reached into her bag and retrieved a fresh piece of parchment as the instructions said and waited for the professor to tell them the next part of the lesson.

She didn't have to wait long until Professor Slughorn called out to the class and told them the final instructions. They were to place the parchment, with their names on it, into the potion for no more then thirty seconds and then pull it out, and place it face down on the table to let it set. He would collect the parchment and then read them out to the class, without names being said. He then said that he would owl the students their results instead of handing them out so they wouldn't know who had what.

There was a flurry of activity as people got out parchment and quills and wrote their names on the parchment. Hermione wrote her name on the parchment and placed it inside the potion for the required time and pulled it out and placed it face down on the desk. She was nervous and wanted to take a peek, but knew that she shouldn't. It wasn't long before the professor had collected all the parchment, shuffled them and began to read them out.

Many were similar, 'has great amounts of hidden courage but has a tendency to dramatise', and Hermione began to tune out until the professor let out a short squeal of excitement which caught the classes attention.

"A prophecy!" he cried out, almost jumping up and down, trying to control his excitement. "In all my years of teaching this subject, I've only ever had around ten prophecies! Pay attention everyone!" Hermione's stomach sank slightly, she had a feeling deep in her heart that the prophecy had to do with her.

"_I'd give my heart, I'd give my soul, I'd turn it back, it's my fault. Your destiny is forlorn, have to live till it's undone. I'd give my heart, I'd give my soul, I'd turn it back and then at last I'll be on my way."_ Hermione turned pale. It definitely had to do with her. Her nightmare had now just become a part of her waking world. So caught up in her shock and trying not to hyperventilate and run out of the classroom, she never noticed Malfoy looking at her with curious eyes. Luckily for Hermione the bell rang only moments afterwards and she hurriedly packed her belongings and all but ran out of the classroom and to the closest girls bathroom.

She threw her bag against the wall of the bathroom, not caring that her glass inkwells had just smashed and ink was now staining her belongings, she raced to one of the stalls and leaned over the toilet inside, bring up that mornings breakfast. When she could finally breathe and had stopped heaving, she flushed the toilet and leaned back against the door, not caring that her mouth was filled with the taste of bile and vomit for the moment.

How the hell had that potion known? It couldn't be coincidence that this had happened, not after what the stars had revealed to her only this morning up on the astronomy tower. They had to be playing some cosmic joke on her. It couldn't be happening. Not now.

Sighing, she stood up on shaking legs and made her way over to the sinks to wash her mouth out and rid it of the foul taste and smell coming from it. She turned on the tap and splashed her face a couple of times before pulling out her wand and transfiguring a coin in her pocket into a small glass, filled it with water and rinsed her mouth out several times.

Once her mouth was somewhat clean again, she accio'd her toothbrush and toothpaste from her down, not caring that the two projectiles would be hurtling down the busy corridors. They arrived after only two minutes and she bushed her mouth to rid it of the last tastes and smells of vomit, her breath once more smelling minty fresh.

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. She was still pale and was shaking slightly, Her eyes were wild and her hair was falling out of its braid. She reached up with shaking hands and undid the braid, ready to redo her hair when a voice from behind her stopped her.

"Don't bother trying to do your hair again, no matter what you still look hideous. Even for a mud... muggleborn." Hermione whipped around, wand in hand and faced none other then Malfoy.

"What in the name of Hades are you doing in the girls bathroom Malfoy?" she spat, not noticing her little slip of the tongue. Malfoy didn't move from his spot by the door.

"Don't worry little Granger, I'm not here to hurt you. Just wanted to know what has the little mud... muggleborn all wound up, enough so that she has to race to the bathroom to throw up."

"That is none of your business Malfoy." Hermione almost growled out, not coming out of her defensive position.

"I have a theory you see, and it has to do with the little potion prophecy that Slughorn read out not to long ago. I saw you go pale Granger, don't deny it." he drawled.

"Go to hell in a hand basket Malfoy." she spat.

"I've already been there Granger. It was called the Death Eaters." he spat back angrily, before collecting himself and continuing. "I also wonder if it has to do with what you mentioned last night up on the tower. Curious how but just last night you said something about one month as well as something about the stars being a story and then today in potions a prophecy is revealed."

"As I said Malfoy, go to hell in a hand basket. You won't get any information from me." she replied. Malfoy gave her one of his signature smirks.

"You do realise that by not answering me you are actually answering me. I'm getting so much information from you that it is laughable." he said amused. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, which caused him to widen his smirk.

"I warn you now Draco Malfoy, you are not to go any further with your curiosity if you know what is good for your health and wellbeing." She never noticed that the air around her was beginning to crackle with raw and wild magic. Malfoy however had noticed the change and dropped his smirk.

"There are far more dangerous things out there then the Death Eaters and they make Lord Voldemort look like a baby compared to what they can do. It would be best if you forgot everything that you have heard in the last twenty-four hours and go on as normal."

"And if I don't?" he asked, not looking away from her, the air now shimmering and pulsing violently with raw magic. "If I continue to delve deeper into whatever secrets there are out there that you aren't telling anyone?" Hermione couldn't believe that he had the gall to actually dismiss her warning, was testing her. Her anger increased due to his stubborn attitude and so did the raw magic filling the room, unknowingly suppressing Malfoy's magical core and making him feel like he was suffocating due to the amount of magic that was being released. He fell to his knees, holding his throat trying to breathe.

"I will not save you from your death, for that will be your fate." she stated simply. "Whether by my hand or by theirs, your curiosity will be the cause for your death. Heed my warning Malfoy, for it will be your last."

Hermione turned and waved her hand at her bag and it flew to her, the inkwells repairing themselves and the ink returning to the bottles. She stormed past Malfoy, who was struggling for breath on his knees. As soon as she left the bathroom the raw magic that was crackling around her peaked and snapped. It blasted down the corridor in both directions similar to a sonic boom, knocking over any students, teachers and even ghosts that was in its path with the force that was unleashed.

Hermione, due to the sudden rush of power leaving her body, fell to her knees outside of the girls bathroom. She didn't realise that she had just performed wandless magic in front of Malfoy, multiple wandless spells in fact. She realised, however, that she had just let a large portion of her magic become uncontrolled, something she hadn't allowed to happen since she was a little girl, due to how destructive uncontrolled magic could be. After a moment of catching her breath she picked herself up off the stone floor and slowly worked her way back up the corridor and towards the entrance hall.

Around a corner she heard others getting up asking what had just happened. She could hear some of the younger students yelling and screaming, scared of what had happened as it seemed like the whole foundations of the castle had just been shaken by a large explosion. Hermione was forced to stop when only moments later that an emergency bell was being tolled throughout the castle and the Headmistress's voice was broadcast through the entire castle ordering all students and staff to the Great Hall immediately.

Hermione took a calming breath and placed herself in the frame of mind that she needed to be in at that moment and that was as Head Girl. It was her duty to ensure that the other students were safe and accounted for as they made their way to the hall. Hermione made her way around the corner and found four second year Hufflepuffs still sitting on the ground. One, a young girl with black hair in a ponytail, was holding her ankle, which was beginning to swell due to her fall because of the blast.

At the sight in front of her, the fallen girl surrounded by her friends, Hermione was thrust back into a frame of mind that she had hoped never to be in again, and definitely not so soon: her mind went into battle mode. Fix the injured and move on, eliminate any enemy she comes across. She knelt down and healed the young girls swelling, helped her to stand and urged them to go to the great hall. The four Hufflepuff students, who had never seen the Head Girl in such a state, her hair wild and her eyes determined, nodded fearfully and rushed down the corridor and towards the Great Hall.

Hermione made to move but was stopped when someone behind her grabbed her wrist. She spun around and her wand was instantly at the throat of her supposed attacker.

"Lower the damn wand Granger." ground out Malfoy, making sure to keep both of her hands were he could see them, while keeping his own in the air as a sign of surrender. Hermione, instead of lowering the wand, pushed it slightly more into his throat.

"Why should I Malfoy?" she spat, her mind no longer with the fact that the war was over, it was firmly back in battle mode and she wasn't going to let Malfoy, a Death Eater in her mind, try to get the upper hand.

"Because we aren't in battle!" He practically cried. Hermione ignored him and cast a silent _petrificus totalus, incarcerous,_ _stupefy, accio,_ and _silencio_ which had Malfoy rendered wandless, bound, silenced and unconscious in the middle of the corridor.

"I'll be back for you later Death Eater." she spat, turned and ran down the corridor leaving Malfoy bound on the ground in the corridor. As she barrelled down the corridor she healed as many students as she could find, each student then running to the Great Hall, heeding the calls of the professors. She was so absorbed in the battle her mind had created that she didn't hear her name being called until she ran until someone. She was about to stun them when she saw that it was Ron.

"Ron! Oh I'm so glad to see you! The castle!" she cried out in panic, her eyes moving wildly about looking for non-existent danger.

"Hermione! Calm down!" said Ron, grabbing the tops of her arms to stop her from trying to run away. "Hermione what's wrong?"

"We have to find Harry! They're here!" she cried out, trying to pull out of his arms. Ron looked at her confused.

"Who's here Hermione?" asked Ron, struggling to hold onto her as she tried hard to get out of his hold.

"The Death Eaters! I subdued one in the dungeons corridor! He's down there! I have to find Harry!" she cried out, finally breaking from Ron's grasp and was about to run down the corridor. Ron seeing what she was about to do grabbed her around the middle in a firm embrace.

"Hermione! Calm down!" he cried. "He's in the Great Hall with the others!" Hermione finally calmed a little and stopped struggling. "Go to the Great Hall and you'll see him there. I'll go and deal with your 'Death Eater', alright?" He gave her a hard look, or attempted to due to their position in the corridor.

"Alright!" she agreed reluctantly. "Go and deal with the Death Eater and then come straight to the Hall, I'll be checking the map." Ron looked uneasy at how easily she relented in the argument but nodded and let her go none the less. She knew that he was watching as she raced down the corridor and towards the Great Hall.

Hermione noticed as she raced down the corridor that there were no more students to heal as well as no danger and so she started to calm down a little and slowed down from her frantic run and by the time she reached the hall she had slowed to a fast walk. The hall doors were open and she strode inside, immediately looking for Harry, spotting him at the Gryffindor table. She sighed in relief and headed over to the table.

"Harry! Oh thank goodness your alright!" she cried out and practically smothered him in a hug.

"'Mione, can't breathe!" he choked out and when she heard this she let him go, apologising profusely. When Harry had his breath back he asked her what was wrong.

"The castle! It's under attack!" she cried, but not loudly as to alert the other students. Harry frowned at her.

"Hermione," he started cautiously. "The castle isn't under attack. There was a burst of powerful uncontrolled magic about ten minutes ago in the dungeons. The teachers wanted to get everyone together so they can go and check for any structural damage. You just missed the announcement."

"Uncontrolled magic?" whispered Hermione. "But Harry, Malfoy, he..." she was cut off when Ron approached the table.

"Harry can I talk to you for a minute." he asked sombrely trying not to look at Hermione. Harry looked at Hermione with a strange look in his eye. He nodded and got up from the seat and they both walked out of her ear shot. Hermione waited for them, scanning the hall while she was waiting. She spotted Malfoy and something clicked within her mind. Somehow this was all his fault, but wasn't he supposed to be in the corridor where she left him? The answer came to her quickly.

Ron.

She didn't think that Ron would actually free him. Then again she didn't think that she would actually bound, gag and knock Malfoy unconscious either. But why did she? Now that she had calmed down and had seen that Harry and Ron were both okay she realised that she had relapsed into battle mode. Something she had hoped never to do again. She sighed, she was so tired and needed to sleep, not only from the release of all the raw magic that had built up while she was in the bathroom, which had the staff running off and checking the building for damage, but also due to the lack of sleep that she had been getting and the whole stars and prophecy situation that she had now found herself in - and it had only really just started!

Harry and Ron returned to the table after their short discussion, which she knew was about her. Both sat down and an awkward silence surrounded the trio. Ron was the first to break the silence.

"Hermione, what happened down in the dungeons that made you tie up Malfoy?" he asked gently. She sighed.

"I don't know Ron, I can't really remember." she lied. "I was angry at him for some reason and I guess I just blew up at him." she shifted her eyes away from the boys and hung her head.

"Hermione, I spoke to Malfoy quickly, we had to run because the teachers were coming. But he said that it was you who released the uncontrolled magic. Not that we believe him, but we have to know. Was it you?" asked Ron.

"It was." she sighed. "It was after potions, that much I remember, and I was in the bathroom and he was there. I got angry at him, so angry, that I just let go. I know what I did was dangerous but I had too."

"Hermione, how are you still standing?" asked Harry, quietly. "I mean that amount of uncontrolled magic was more then anything that most of the teachers have ever seen! It was explosive, it even knocked the ghosts over!" Hermione looked at Harry and then Ron, wondering how much of the truth she should give.

"Because it wasn't all my magic. It was most of it. I'm only still awake now because I am on an adrenaline high. I saw some students on the floor in the corridor and something triggered my battle instincts. That's why when I ran into you both I though the castle was under attack. My mind took me back to the Final Battle." she said ashamedly.

"Oh Hermione." said Harry, bringing her into a hug, Ron joining in on her other side. It was then that Hermione finally broke down and cried the first tears since the war ended.

"I can't stop the dreams, Harry. I've been dreaming for so long trying to find the meaning to understanding it all!" she cried, her tears soaking his shirt. "I hear their screams at night and I can do nothing but scream with them."

Harry and Ron made shushing sounds and rubbed her back trying to comfort her, but nothing they were doing would comfort the broken woman in their arms. Harry looked over her head and at Ron, mouthing silently to go and get Madame Pomfrey.

"It's alright Hermione. It's over now." He whispered.

"It'll never be over Harry. I'll always be here until the end. It's my punishment." but Harry couldn't hear her properly, as she was slowly falling into the sweet oblivion that was unconsciousness and her tired voice was just below a whisper.

And finally the empty darkness that was sleep finally won over and Hermione knew no more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor it's characters which i am using to my own enjoyment. Nor do I own the song to which this fic inspired me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

There were three things that Hermione noticed straight away.

Blood. It was everywhere. The sickly sweet, coppery metallic taste permeated the air suffocating the very life giving substance making it hard to breathe. No matter where she moved the air was stained with the taste, the smell and the thickness of it. The ground was covered in it, slick and slippery, making it hard to walk without tripping.

Red. Everything was red. No green of the grass, no blue of the sky, no yellow of the flowers that somehow managed to survive the onslaught of crimson. While the rest of the world was in shades of grey, the blood was the only thing that was coloured. It swirled in front of her, blurring and distorting the image.

And finally, it was still. Nothing was moving. There was no breeze, no animals or people moving around, not a single leaf shifted. It was as still as death, and that was what it was. Death.

Hermione realised immediately where she was. She came here every time she closed her eyes. It didn't matter that the image wasn't as clear as it used to be, the feelings and memories that came with it were the real nightmare.

The aftermath of battle. The end of the long war. Many lay slain on the ground, wounds deep and bleeding sluggishly, awaiting death. Even more were already dead, eyes wide and staring unseeingly into the sky or closed, face down to the ground.

Silently she walked among the dead and dying, not one of them moving and not a sound was made. Tears travelled the familiar path down her cheeks, clinging to her chin in a desperate attempt to avoid being separated from her. Slipping and falling before finally they fell to their own shattering end among the blood stained ground.

The image in front of her would forever be her biggest nightmare. A small child, no more then three years old, grasping at her fallen mother, tears falling as she tried to wake up her up, however it was in vain. The image was like a photograph. Still and unmoving. A moment frozen in time. Hermione remembered how her heart broke for the child who was now motherless and more then likely fatherless as well.

She made to reach for the child, kneeling down and stretching out her arms ready to pick up the child, as she had done so many times in her sleeping hours, when things suddenly began to change.

Things slowly began to move, a wind starting to rustle the leaves, the grass slowly swaying in the breeze. Then those still alive began to move, small movements at first and becoming larger movements, until finally people were rolling over or rubbing themselves to relieve the pain. But not one stood up.

And then it started. The screaming. Agony filled screams of the dying, the heart-wrenching screams of the survivors when they realised that their loved ones had died.

Hermione stood hopeless as everything became alive around her. She didn't know what she could do to help, if there was anything that she could do. She looked into the distance to try to take her eyes off the sight around her. That was when she noticed him.

He was walking towards her, the only figure standing and walking, not even worrying about if he was stepping on somebody's fingers or toes. Not caring if they were walking on the dead or the living. Finally he came close enough for her to recognise who it was that was walking to her. Fear gripped her and Hermione did the only thing that she could do.

She screamed.

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><p>Hermione shot up from her bed screaming. She tried to catch her breath, to stop screaming. She tore at the curtains surrounding her bed as she clumsily tried to get out of bed, falling to her knees when she tried to stand. The other girls in the dormitory moving behind their curtains, waking at the sound of her scream. Grumbling noises accompanying the shifting sheets and curtains.<p>

"For Merlin's sake Granger! Can't we get one nights rest again?" snapped Lavender, grumpy that she had been woken up for the sixth night in a row. "Go back to the library if you are going to continue to make such a racket."

"Lav!" Cried Pavarti, quickly stifling a yawn and turning to her best friend. "If anyone should be woken up from nightmares it's Hermione! They are probably nightmares from the war."

"We all went through it Pavarti!" said Lavender, angrily. Glaring, albeit sleepily at Pavarti. "She wasn't the only one to watch people die!"

"That may be Lav, but you weren't right in the middle of it! Her whole world was shattered by this war." Hermione sat numbly on the ground as she tried to get her breathing sorted while Lavender and Pavarti were arguing about her. She nearly jumped and attacked Fay* when the other girl laid her hand on her shoulder.

"I know this seems silly to ask, but are you alright?" asked the dark haired Gryffindor girl as she sat down on the ground beside Hermione. Hermione just nodded, finally getting her breathing under control. Alice, Fay's best friend and the final Gryffindor girl, came and sat on Hermione's other side holding a cup of water, having prepared for the nightmare.

"I'm fine girls. Thanks though." said Hermione, still slightly breathless and voice raspy from the screaming. Alice handed over a cup that she had to Hermione, coxing her to have a drink. Pavarti and Lavender stopped arguing when all the girls heard the sounds of footsteps coming towards the dorm. Hermione sighed, knowing who it would be.

Ginny Weasley came bursting through the door and straight to her side.

"Another nightmare?" she asked. Hermione could only sigh internally and nod her head. "When will it end? This is the sixth night now that you've woken up the whole house."

"I know Ginny. But there is nothing that anyone can do. The potions don't even work. We tried when I was in the hospital wing last week."

"But there must be something!" cried out Ginny in frustration. "You are not sleeping, screaming every hour when you do get some sleep. Merlin knows how the rest of Gryffindor tower feel!"

"Ginny!" gasped Hermione, shocked that her friend would make such a statement. Hermione though that Ginny might have actually cared that her friend wasn't actually sleeping.

"What?" snapped Ginny, crossing her arms across her chest. "It's true, you know. Nearly every Gryffindor is ready to throw you into the deepest part of the castle if it means that they can get some unbroken sleep." Lavender and Pavarti nodded their heads almost too enthusiastically in agreement with Ginny, while Fay and Alice, nodded only once, blushing ashamedly and avoiding eye contact with Hermione.

"You all think that?" asked Hermione in disbelief, looking between the girls. "I thought that we were friends, if not then at least we were able to get along with each other." she shook her head and stood up, brushing away Ginny's hand when she realised that Hermione was standing up. Hermione started to make her way to the bathroom, going to splash her face to try and completely calm down.

"Hermione, you have to understand, the only people who are actually happy that you aren't getting any sleep is the Slytherin's." said Ginny. "They are loving it because it means that the Gryffindors will lose the house cup this year because no one is able to function properly." She tried to get Hermione to understand that her screaming was affecting everyone in the tower. Hermione spun around, anger flashing dangerously through her eyes.

"Is that all you care about Ginerva Weasley? House points?" she spat. "You don't care that one of your friends, your boyfriends best friend, is having a break down! You only care about bloody sodding _house points!_" Hermione shook her head at Ginny, in slight amusement but mostly frustration. "I never thought you would sink as low as to care about house pride over someone else's sanity. Thank you for finally showing me that I cannot count you as a friend. That I can't count _any_ of you as a friend."

"Hermione Jean Granger!" yelled Ginny, angry that she was getting a dress down for expressing everyone's observations. "I don't care about the points at all! I'm trying to get you to understand that at the moment the Slytherin's will be more friendly to you then your own housemates! The house is coming close to throwing you out!"

Hermione and the others were silent for a moment. The tension in the room was thick and dark. The Hermione and Ginny were facing each other across the dormitory, glaring and not moving except to breathe heavily. While the other girls stood to the sides, eyes flicking between the two warring women.

"Then I won't give them the satisfaction." she said in a deadly calm voice, one that would chill the bones of even Lord Voldemort. The other girls in the room flinched at her words. Alice being the only one brave enough to actually speak.

"What do you mean that you 'won't give them the satisfaction?'" she asked, nervous at being the one to speak, hoping that all hell wouldn't break lose when she spoke. "You can't possibly mean that you would leave the dormitory do you?"

"That is exactly what I mean." said Hermione. The other girls, except Ginny gasped at Hermione's declaration. Ginny stood there, mouth opening and closing like a fish, lost for words.

"You can't!" she cried out when she finally found her voice. "You can't enter any of the other common rooms, and the Room of Requirement is destroyed! You have nowhere to go."

Hermione gave a smirk worthy of Malfoy, causing the other girls to take a step back due to how scary she looked right then.

"So you are now saying that I have to sleep in the tower Ginny? Make up your mind." Hermione said, glaring at the girl. "Not that it matters really, as it is ultimately my choice as to where I sleep."

"Hermione! Stop it! Just stop it!" cried Ginny, throwing her hands up in the air. "I'm sorry okay! We are tired, we just want to sleep. Please, please try to understand! Were are all tired, so tired." Hermione narrowed her eyes at the red haired girl, anger rolling off the brunette in waves and her magic started to crackle around her, making her look far more dangerous and more like a vengeful goddess with each passing moment.

"And how do you think I feel Ginerva Weasley!" she said, her voice slow and even, her anger obvious to the other girls in the room, who flinched at her tone. The curtains on the beds began to flutter from the shifting air in the room. "I don't sleep, I can't sleep. What you saw in the war is nothing compared what I see every time I close my eyes!"

"Hermione you weren't the only person in that war. We were all there, we all fought." yelled Ginny, throwing her hands around indicating to the other girls in the room who had indeed been in the war. They had all been involved in the war in some way and they all had the scars to prove it, some physical and some emotional wounds.

Lavender fought and had suffered minor burns on her wand arm, just above her elbow, due to a spell sent from an unknown assailant. She had managed to fight on, like the Gryffindor that she was, until she couldn't fight anymore. Then just as she was heading to the Great Hall, where the injured were being treated, she was assaulted by a male form which she recognised moments too late as Fenrir Greyback. She had struggled against the werewolf but passed out at the same moment that Hermione Granger came across her and blasted Fenrir off her. Lavender woke hours later in the Great Hall, after the battle had been won.

Pavarti Patil had fought in the war with the rest of Dumbledore's Army. She had duelled fiercely and had even saved some of her fellow Gryffindors whilst in battle, at one stage saving Dean Thomas from Antonin Dolohov when his back was turned while he taking out another Death Eater. Pavarti received only minor abrasions and lacerations to her body from the falling castle as well as a broken arm from tripping over some rubble.

Ginny Weasley lived up to her spitfire nature and fought with all the fury of a woman who had been scorned. She took out several Death Eaters, being cursed a couple of times by rookie Death Eaters with minor jinxes, while she was duelling other Death Eaters. She came out of the war with only superficial injuries but it was the emotional wound of losing her older brother Fred that she, and the rest of her family, had to try and heal.

Fay Dunbar had also fought in the war, managing to take out a couple of Death Eaters in the process before being knocked out by a Stupefy spell. When she had awoken, she found that the war as still in progress but it was during the penultimate ultimatum in which Harry agreed to sacrifice himself. She did not participate in the absolute final battle due to a nasty concussion.

Alice Tolipan on the other hand was a muggleborn and had fled from the war. She did not return to school the previous year to complete her studies, instead she went into hiding. Alice had managed to convince her family to let her attend a foreign muggle school for the year and was successful in hiding for several months until just before Christmas when her parents were killed in a supposed home invasion, which was actually a Death Eater attack.

Alice was forced to come back to England, where she was almost caught by the Death Eaters. She went on the run, living mostly in Muggle towns and never staying long in one place. Alice would still be on the run if she hadn't come across the Ginny Weasley in Ottery St. Catchpole. For Alice, while she didn't actively participate in the war, she had lost her parents, was forced to live on the run and suffered starvation, isolation, exposure to harsh conditions during the winter months and exhaustion, just to begin with. She had recovered well under the healers at St Mungo's, and due to the conditions after the final battle St Mungo's was overcrowded with patients. Alice had several strengthening potions as well as vitamin regime and within weeks there was a vast improvement on her health. Her fight wasn't in the final battle, she had to fight to survive in a harsh world.

"That may be so Ginerva, but you were not captured and taken to Malfoy Manor." yelled Hermione, finally telling Ginny, and the other girls, the full story as to what happened in Malfoy Manor. Over the past few months while she had been staying with the Weasley's and Harry at the Burrow. "You were not taken, separated from your best friends and used as a punching bag. You were not tortured by an insane woman whose pleasure in life is to serve her sadistic Lord!"

Tears fell from her eyes and she was unable to stop them from falling. The candles flickered, trying to stay alight and the girls, other then Ginny, tried to find some place that they could hide realising that Hermione was causing the air to shift and become thicker with the pulsating magic.

"You didn't have to see the pity in the eyes of someone who you know as they watched as you were tortured on their drawing room floor!" she screamed. "You will never know how I feel! Ever! You may have fought in the war Ginerva Weasley, but you were never subjected to the horror that I was, and if I have my way, no one ever will!"

With that final declaration Hermione released the magic that was building around her, blasting Ginny into the wall, upturning the furniture, breaking the windows and shaking not only the whole of Gryffindor tower, but the majority of that side of the castle. The girls hid behind whatever they could, arms up to protect their faces from flying debris, screaming as the magical explosion ripped through the room.

Papers and dust were thrown into the air, making the air thick and unclear, and as the papers slowly drifted back towards the floor the girls picked themselves up and surveyed any injuries that they had suffered. Mostly it was just cuts and bruises. The door into the bathroom was blasted right open and you could see into the room, the door to the stairs remained closed and locked, as Lavender had locked it before. And as the last papers fell onto the ground, the girls turned around and scanned the room. It was then girls noticed that something was missing. Better yet, someone.

Hermione was gone.

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><p>Note: Fay Dunbar is one of Hermione's dorm mates, not mentioned, or given a name until Half Blood Prince, she was best friends with the 'Ginger Haired girl' from the dorm. The ginger girl was never named in the series and so I have assigned a name for her, Alice Tolipan. I didn't make these girls up, only assigned Alice's name from JKR's list of 40 students.<p>

**So guys, I'm not dead. Just busy. Uni has started back and I've been working more then ever. Plus I'm moving house shortly, so don't expect an update until mid october at the earliest, unless I procrastinate.**

**I really would like to know what you guys think of this story, so please can you guys review? I feel lonely. **


	4. Chapter 4

**So, here is the next chapter. Please let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor it's characters which i am using to my own enjoyment. Nor do I own the song to which this fic inspired me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

The castle was in a panic, especially Gryffindor tower, as the second magical explosion in a week ripped through the building. Windows in the tower were shattered, as well as the windows on the seventh floor closest to the tower. The staff, woken up in the middle of the night, evacuated everyone from both the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor towers into the Great Hall to spend the rest of the night. However, after taking an emergency roll call it became clear to everyone in both towers that Hermione was not present and so the teachers searched the castle from top to bottom for her.

Harry had managed to sneak the Marauder's Map into the hall with him and both he and Ron checked the map over and over, looking for any sign of Hermione but had no luck in finding her. Ron even suggested that she could be in the Room of Requirement but Harry shot down the idea as the Room of Requirement's enchantments were broken since the room was damaged in the war and that the room could no longer hide it's occupants on the inside.

Ginny had explained to Harry and Ron what had happened in Hermione's room. Unfortunately it was now no longer a secret to the rest of the Gryffindors and the Ravenclaw's that Hermione was the cause of the chaos of both explosions and it would soon be around the rest of the school. Before the second explosion there were only rumours that Hermione was connected to the first explosion, all started by Draco Malfoy and so were not fully believed, but now it was confirmed. Hermione was the source of the explosions.

However this revelation, while significant, didn't have much relevance to the current situation. The Head Girl was missing and no one could find her and it would be days before anyone from Hogwarts would see the woman again.

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><p>Hermione's eyes snapped open when she felt something wet slide on her cheek. Waving her hand to try and remove said wetness she felt soft fur brush against her fingertips. She bolted upright and almost collided with the thing that was hovering above her. The creature jumped back and ran off in fright at the sudden movement from the woman.<p>

She looked around and saw that she was no longer in the Gryffindor Tower at Hogwarts. In fact as she scanned the surroundings she noticed that she was no where near the castle. She was laying in the middle of a field full of wildflowers. To her right there was a large lake that went well past her line of sight and over the horizon, the tips of the small peaks capped with what seemed like sparkling lights. To her left and behind her there was a forest, thick but bright, unlike the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts, and just in front of the forest was a set of ruins that gleamed in the sunlight. Looking back to the lake she scanned the edge of the horizon beyond the lake and the forest where she could see the tops of mountains. Hermione followed the mountain range and noticed it ran in a circle around the area where she was.

Hermione, still groggy from the explosion from her magical core, slowly made some realisations. She had just blown up Hogwarts for the second time in a week and she had somehow managed to apparate from Hogwarts, which was impossible since no one but the headmaster can apparate inside the grounds or the castle proper. The wards were supposed to stop apparition but somehow she had done it and landed herself in the middle of a field, in the middle of a valley in the middle of nowhere.

Groaning, Hermione threw herself back onto the ground and looked up at the sky and watched the clouds floating overhead. As she lay trying to get her mind to focus, the creature that had awakened her crept back towards her. It was almost beside her before she realised that something was there due to being so lost in thought. She turned her head to look at the creature.

It looked similar to a small sheep except with fur instead of wool and it was cotton candy pink with small grey horns and grey eyes. Hermione watched it with curiosity noting that the colour of its coat, while, yes it was most definitely pink, it had a silvery shimmer to it. It slowly approached her and Hermione tried not to move and startle it, unfortunately she felt a sneeze coming and tried to hold it in. She managed to hold it for a few seconds before sneezing loudly and startling the creature. It dashed away from her, but no more then a few metres, but what had Hermione amazed was that the creatures coat changed colours. It was no longer cotton candy pink with grey horns, it was now a light brown with pale red horns.

Hermione sat up and stared at the creature. She had never seen anything like it before. She stayed still watching and waiting to see what it would do. Slowly, the coat changed back to a pale pink and the horns back to grey before it started to approach again. Hermione, curious to see if it would run away again if she started to talk to it, began making cooing noises as it came towards her. It hesitated for a minute before finally making its way to her. It stopped right in front of her and looked directly at her as if trying to see if she was trustworthy. The creature's coat change colours again to a bright blue with rainbow horns as it made a small sound of what Hermione could only call happiness as it started to jump around her.

Laughter was heard behind her and Hermione turned around to face a tall woman. The creature spotted the woman and was practically vibrating with excitement as it raced between Hermione and the woman.

"I see that Delic has taken a liking to you." she said, her eyes dancing with amusement while watching the strange sheep-like creature. Hermione noticed how beautiful the woman was. She looked like she was in her mid thirties with short brown hair and pale skin. She wore a green dress similar to an ancient Greek toga with a gold broach on the right side where the single sleeve joined the rest of the dress. Hermione stood up to greet the woman.

"Lady Cybele, it has been a while has it not?" asked Hermione, making sure to keep her eyes lowered and not making direct eye contact with the woman, as per tradition.

"My dear sweet child. It has been far too long. I fear that your uncles are to blame for that." sighed Cybele, moving to Hermione and gathering her in a warm hug which Hermione returned. "I do hope that they haven't been giving you too much of a hard time."

"They are not my uncles Lady Cybele, you know that." said Hermione, pulling away from the woman, making sure to step carefully so she didn't step on the hyperactive sheep-thing.

"They are as good as uncles just as I am as good as your aunt." reprimanded Cybele. "And don't call me a Lady, for goodness sakes! I run outside most of the day looking after the plants not sitting and having tea with the others. You should know better!"

"Of course Cybele. It's good to see that nothing has changed." laughed Hermione. "Well, almost nothing. What is that thing?" pointing to the creature who still hadn't stopped bouncing around the two women.

"His name is Psychedelic, or Delic for short. Crazy little thing. Something that Cronos came up with. His fur changes to suit his mood. The pink was curiosity and brown was fear by the way. Blue, well that is pretty obvious now isn't it?" she smiled at Hermione, gesturing to sit down on the grass as she sat down as well.

"Why on earth did Cronos do such a thing? He should know better. The poor thing would be a target for the foxes and other nasty creatures." Delic had wandered a slight distance away but still continued his prancing, changing his coat to different colours usually the colour of a flower he spotted and changed his coat back to the bright blue when he managed to get the right colour and back to pink when he spotted something new.

"Why else does Cronos do things? Why would any of the others do something like this? Because they get bored." laughed Cybele. Delic looked over to woman turning bright blue and making his happy sound when he heard her laughter before becoming distracted by a butterfly as it passed by.

The two women sat in silence for a short time, just enjoying each others company as they haven't had the chance to in a long while. Cybele broke the silence after fifteen minutes of sitting and watching Delic.

"Hermione. It's nearly time." she heard Hermione sigh out loud, probably louder then she thought she did. Cybele didn't comment, knowing that it was partly unintentional.

"I know Cybele. I just wish that it wasn't time already." said Hermione still watching Delic as he flittered around the field playing with everything that passed by.

"Time always comes when you don't want it too." said Cybele, wisely, looking at the younger woman. "Even the gods can't control time and bend it to their will."

"I swear they do though and that they do it just to annoy me." growled Hermione. "Just like they do my dreams."

"Your dreams?" asked Cybele, shocked at what the young woman was saying. "What do you mean 'just like they do my dreams?' Surely your uncles wouldn't dare." Hermione gave a bitter laugh and looked to the older woman.

"Wouldn't they?" she asked, sarcasm dripping from every word. "They have made my life a living hell for a long time. It's bad enough I keep reliving the past every waking moment, now they want me to see it in my sleep as well? I'm losing control Cybele and I don't know how much longer I can hold out before something gives and somebody is hurt."

"Oh my dear sweet child!" cried Cybele, leaning over and giving Hermione a comforting hug. "I shall have to go and have a nice little chat to them, of all the things that they would do, I didn't think that they would stoop this low!" She let go of Hermione and quickly stood up ready to go and give Hermione's 'uncles' a good dressing down. Hermione scrambled to her feet and tried to stop her.

"Cybele, no! You can't!" yelled Hermione, chasing after the woman. Delic, noticing that his mistress was leaving started to run towards the two women trying to catch up. "If they knew that I saw you, you would be in trouble! I won't let you get into trouble because of me." She caught the woman and held her arm pleading with her to not talk to them.

"Hermione I am far older then you, I can handle the men on my own." admonished Cybele. Delic slowed down but he wasn't quick enough in stopping and crashed into the women's legs. His fur changed to grey to signify that he was very nervous and sheepish.

"I wont let you! Please Cybele, please." sniffled Hermione, trying to get a control of the tears that had started to make their way down her cheeks. She wiped away the offending tears and hardened her gaze.

"They probably already know Hermione, you can't hide this forever. They will eventually find out." sighed Cybele.

"Please. I will go and see them when I can, I promise." Cybele looked at the younger woman, and noted that even though she looked almost broken there was still a fire in her eyes that wouldn't be put out so easy.

"Fine, I wont go and give the men an earful." Sighing, Cybele nodded at Hermione's request, agreeing not to face the men. Hermione thanked the older woman.

"You better leave. You shouldn't be here." said Hermione, giving Cybele a sad smile which the older woman returned.

"I probably should, it is for the best." the two women embraced for the last time and Cybele started to walk away, however she turned around when she noticed that Delic wasn't with her. Delic was sitting meekly at Hermione's feet, his coat a misty blue colour with grey horns. Cybele smiled when she noticed where he was.

"It seems like Delic doesn't want to leave you. You may have him if you like. I guess that he gets terribly lonely here." Hermione smiled and thanked the woman and Delic turned a brighter, more vibrant blue.

"Goodbye Hermione. Don't forget, it is nearly time." and with that the older woman disappeared.

"I would never forget Aunt Cybele. How can I?" she whispered. She stood looking at the place where Cybele disappeared from for a few moments. Her hair being pulled around by the breeze before her silent musings were interrupted by Delic yipping at her. Hermione gave a small smile at the small creature.

"Come on Delic, we should probably go as well." she said and bent down to collect the little creature. Delic jumped into her arms and licked at her face like a small puppy. Hermione laughed at the creature and stood up.

"Alright, alright, Delic I get it. You like me." He gave another series of yips and squirmed in her arms. Hermione looked over the landscape one more time. The sun was beginning to set throwing its palette of colours over the sky. A pair of white and gold birds danced in the air and a fish jumped out of the lake. It was a beautiful place but Hermione couldn't wait to leave and go back to Hogwarts.

"Ready Delic?" she said and before the he could give a yip, Hermione disapparated.

* * *

><p>This time when Hermione opened her eyes she could see Hogwarts castle. The sun was just about to begin rising over in the east. Delic squirmed in her arms, wanting to be put down and so Hermione bent down to allow the little creature to stand. She looked around and noticed that she was on the outskirts of Hogsmeade near the Shrieking Shack. It would take her a good half hour to reach the castle.<p>

"Come on Delic. Lets go." she said to the creature as she made her way down to the main street of Hogsmeade. It was still dark as she made her way through the street and no lights were on in the houses or shops. It made her feel slightly uneasy and made sure that her ready for an attack. Delic picked up on her agitation and his fur turned a light brown with yellow horns.

As they were passing by Honeydukes a blur of colour rushed past Hermione and Delic just up ahead of where they were walking and had her reaching for her wand, which to her horror wasn't with her. Delic noticed her panic and turned a deep red and black. All of a sudden he spouted small wings, similar to a dragons, and his horns grew longer and sharper. He kept his eyes on the blur and prepared to attack.

"Delic no!" cried Hermione, bending down to try to stop the creature from attacking whatever it was that startled her. She tried to sooth him and calm him down while also trying to calm herself down as well. However, she didn't take her eyes off the street, continuously scanning the area for any sign of danger.

Delic finally calmed down and his wings folded back into his body and turned a light red, almost pink colour. Hermione smiled down at him.

"It was probably only a kneezle. They aren't dangerous. It's alright." she continued to pet the little creature until it was almost asleep with pleasure.

"A kneezle may not be dangerous, but there are other things out there that are." Came a voice from the darkness of the alley to her right. Hermione stiffened at the voice she recognised.

"Uncle." she hissed. Delic picking up on her mood woke quickly and started turning a dark red again. Hermione quickly restrained him. "How nice not to see you again."

"And here I thought I would get a warm welcome from my niece." said the voice, sarcasm dripping from every word uttered from his silky voice. Hermione stood up and faced the alley, making sure to keep a hold of Delic.

"Any welcome from me would not be a warm and you know it." she spat. "And come out of the alley and face me like you damn well should." the man chuckled but complied, stepping out of the shadows of the alley. He was tall, taller then Cybele was with hair as black as the night and skin as pale as death, the pale light from the rising sun making his robes seem even more sinister then Death Eater robes.

"Oh you wound me really." he said placing a hand over his heart. "My own niece, what did I do to deserve such hate?" he asked amused. Hermione glared at the man that she was forced to call uncle.

"You know what you did and what you are doing to deserve such hate from me." she snapped at the man. He chuckled, a sound that would freeze even Voldemort's blood, but Hermione had heard it before and so stood her ground against her uncle.

"Do you like my gift? I had to call in a favour of course and but he was all the more then happy to do so." A thoughtful look crossed his face and he crossed his arms and tapped one finger against his chin. "Actually now that I think about it even Manea was happy, eager even, to help out."

"It wouldn't surprise me." said Hermione, tightening her grip on Delic slightly, causing him to whimper a bit. "Manea was always a little unhinged in my opinion and I have met some rather unhinged people in my time." Hermione's gaze flicked briefly to her arm where the scars from Bellatrix still lingered. The man followed her line of sight and a manic grin spread across his face.

"Yes, I met her you know, the Lestrange woman. She tried to kill me of course, wouldn't expect anything less from her. I think Manea may have had a hand with helping her become unhinged, she did act rather like Manea at times." her uncle said, an evil glint in his eye while Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

"We know, you know." he said. "We know you saw Cybele, but being the _kind _and _generous_ beings that we are, we are going to let it slide. She went to warn you and to remind you." drawled her uncle.

"I know. I would hope that next time you would send your own people rather then one of my only friends to give me a message that I already knew. I would rather that you didn't use my friends."

"Oh but Hermione, my dearest niece, where would the fun be in that?" laughed the man. Hermione glared at him.

"It'd be fun for me, I'd at least would be able to attack your messenger. I can't guarantee that they would return in the same condition in which you sent them but they would return, eventually." she grinned.

"Ah, but I am a kind employer," Hermione snorted out loud at this, but he continued on anyway, ignoring her. "And I wouldn't want to hurt one of my own employees by sending them on a dangerous errand now would I?"

"Kind my ass." mumbled Hermione. She looked up at the sky and noticed that it was almost full light now and that the sun had nearly completely risen. "You better go, wouldn't your wife be wondering where you are? Wouldn't want her to know that you were picking on _innocent_ young girls again now do you? Because that worked so well with her now didn't it?" Her uncle scowled at her remark, an ugly look settled on his features.

"I came to warn you Hermione. The time draws near and more time then you realise has passed while you were with Cybele." Hermione shot him a dark look.

"Enough with the warnings! I get it okay!" yelled Hermione trying not to upset Delic. "Less then a month and I have to be back, if I don't, bad things will happen, yadda yadda yadda. I got it, I got the concept." she said waving one hand around while having it still her arm wrapped around Delic.

"You are incredibly frustrating, you know girl." he hissed at Hermione and she gave him a cheeky grin in return.

"And you only just figured that out now, did you? Took you long enough." he glared at her and Hermione made her grin bigger. "Run along now, your wife will be waiting for you."

"One day you will regret what you have done." he threatened.

"I regret it every day." Hermione spat back. "And there is nothing that you can do that will make it worse. So stop sending me the dreams you sick bastard."

"The only bastard I see here Hermione is you." During the majority of the exchange Delic hadn't made a noise just watching and waiting to see if he was needed to protect his new mistress and finally he made a noise of anger. His coat turning dark red, the wings and horns started to reappear as he struggled to get out of Hermione's arms.

"Go to Hell."

"I already live there." and with that the man that Hermione was forced to call one of her uncles disappeared into the early morning.

"And stay there." she spat at where her uncle had just stood. Hermione shook her head and looked down at Delic. She gave the creature a calming pat to try and get him to revert back go the normal happy-go-lucky creature that he was. Once she figured that he was calm enough, and that she herself had calmed down, she headed back towards the castle.

* * *

><p>By the time that Hermione and Delic had reached Hogwarts it was partway through breakfast. Stepping into the entrance hall the smell of bacon and eggs drifted around her making her realise that she was starving. Delic wriggled around in her arms trying to get free so that he could race into the Great Hall. Hermione struggled against the creature, trying not to let him fall.<p>

"Delic, hold still!" said cried but Delic managed to escape her arms and raced into the Great Hall as nothing more then a blue blur of excitement. "DELIC!" Hermione chased him into the Great Hall, not noticing that as soon as she stepped into the hall all movement and conversation ceased.

"Delic you little ratbag! Get back here now!" she yelled into the silent hall, her voice echoing around the vast room. Delic tried to stop his running as he was heading straight towards the head table, but couldn't stop himself quick enough and ploughed into the legs of the seated Headmistress. An intake of breath was heard throughout the hall as Delic made a small yip, turned grey and made his way back towards Hermione who was standing in the middle of the hall with her hands on her hips.

"Don't run off again or you can go back to Cybele." she chastised the creature. He rubbed himself against her legs as a sign of apology and Hermione smiled down at him. It was then that the silence of the hall was broken by several shouts of her name coming from the Gryffindor table. Spinning around she watched as Harry, Ron and Ginny all made their way towards her and enveloped her in a large group hug. After a short while she felt like she couldn't breath.

"Guys, breathing not happening here!" she gasped. The three friends quickly stopped hugging her and allowed her to get her breath back. Hermione smiled at them but looked down when she felt Delic nudge the back of her legs, she gave a small laugh when she noticed that he was trying to hide and was coloured a light brown.

"Hermione where have you been?" asked Ron, starting the rapid fire of questions from the three friends who were anxious to know where their friend had vanished too.

"How did you get out of the castle?"

"What happened?"

"What is that thing that came with you?"

"Don't you know how worried we've been?"

"Stop!" cried Hermione lifting her hand so that they knew to actually stop and not just ignore her as they were prone to doing when then started their triple tirade. She calmly answered their questions. "I've been away, I somehow apparated out of the castle, I met an old friend and got Delic, Delic is, well I'm not sure what he is and yes I gathered that you were all worried but I'm fine. I didn't get hurt and I'm still in one piece, at least until the three of you decided that you wanted to attack me with the 'Hug of Death'."

"Hermione?" asked Harry once he had absorbed everything that she had said. "Are you sure you are okay?" Hermione looked at her best friend and gave him a small smile.

"I'm as okay as I'm going to get. While I was gone I found out where the nightmares are coming from and why the dreamless sleep potions didn't work. But now is not the time for that."

"It most certainly is not, Miss Granger." said the Headmistress as she made her way down to the quartet and Delic. "Come with me." Hermione nodded and followed the headmistress out of the hall, Delic close on her heels.

"Professor?" asked Hermione as they made their way through the corridors. Delic close on her heels, but the headmistress didn't say a word until they reached the stone gargoyle that protected the headmasters office, and only then was it to say the password. The pair made their way up the spiral stairs and into the office both taking a seat.

"Miss Granger." said the headmistress in a terse voice. "Do you know what you have done?" Hermione nodded her head, avoiding eye contact with the stern woman in front of her.

"I do Headmistress." she answered and jumping a little when Delic jumped into her lap and settled, this time a pale shade of grey.

"You have caused major disruptions with the school. Twice there have been large magical explosions within the school and at least one of them was caused by you, the other, while unconfirmed, can also be linked to your presence." said the headmistress.

"I know Prof... Headmistress. I honestly didn't mean for either to happen." she replied.

"We know that you didn't, and that is the only reason why the other professors and I are letting you keep your Head Girl status." Hermione's head snapped up and looked at the headmistress in shock.

"Professor?" asked Hermione, the old title slipping over her tongue as she stared at the woman in front of her.

"Any other releases of magic will of course result in you being stripped of your Head Girl status." said Professor McGonagall, looking at the young woman sternly.

"Understandably so, Professor. However," said Hermione as she reached up with her right hand and flicked her wrist, summoning the head girl badge to her. McGonagall's eyebrows rose slightly at Hermione's display of wandless magic. Hermione grabbed the flying badge and placed it on the desk between them. "I resign my position as Head Girl and prefect of Gryffindor house. I have come to the decision that come the first snow or the 16th of December, whichever comes first, I shall be leaving Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Professor McGonagall was floored by what Hermione had just said. Not once in her memory could she remember a Head student turn down their position half way through the school year. She could remember Head students being removed from their position, but never willingly give up their title.

"Hermione? Is everything alright?" asked McGonagall, no longer in the role of the strict Headmistress but now as a close friend. Hermione shook her head.

"No it's not but there is nothing that you need to worry about." answered Hermione, petting Delic who started to make a soft cooing noise, slowly going to sleep. "This is something that I have to do. I'm sure that Professor Slughorn told you of the prophecy that was revealed in my potions class, yes?" McGonagall nodded and Hermione continued. "It was my prophecy, more like a warning actually."

"What exactly did it say Hermione? Horace did mention it, but not what it actually said." inquired McGonagall.

"_I'd give my heart, I'd give my soul, I'd turn it back it's my fault. Your destiny is forlorn, have to live till it's undone. I'd give my heart, I'd give my soul, I'd turn it back and then at last I'll be on my way."_ recited Hermione. "It's not really a prophecy, so Professor Slughorn was wrong, but it is a song that is sung by a select group of people about something that I have done in the past."

"Hermione? Care to explain, I am not following." asked Professor McGonagall looking at Hermione with curiosity. Hermione hesitated slightly, debating on what she could tell her.

"Honestly, I am not supposed to say, but what I can tell you is I did something that I shouldn't have and that I am being punished for it. Which is why I have to leave Hogwarts. The magical explosions are a physical manifestation of my state of mind, which is chaotic at best. I can't sleep because I've been receiving dreams from someone as part of my punishment and because I can't sleep, my mind and magic has become unstable. I know that magical explosions can be deadly which is why I have to leave but It's almost as if the person sending me the dreams wants me to blow up the castle and kill everyone. Mind you, I wouldn't put it past him actually."

"I'm afraid I don't really follow Hermione." said Professor McGonagall, leaning back in her chair. "I understand that you are the cause of the magical explosions and that it is because of your lack of sleep, but someone sending you dreams? The only person I know of that could do that was You-kn... Voldemort and that was only to Mr. Potter because they were somehow joined." Professor McGonagall flinched at the name of the former Dark Lord out of reflex.

"While it is true that Voldemort sent Harry dreams back in fifth year due to them being connected because of Voldemort's soul being split to form the horcruxes, he isn't the only one that can invade peoples minds. Professor Snape for example was also able to break into peoples minds. Therefore it is highly plausible that someone else could break into peoples minds. However, I know who it is that is invading my dreams and turning them into nightmares. I also know that he is having help by at least two other people."

"Who is it?" asked McGonagall, trying not to become to overwhelmed by what the young woman was saying.

"It's one of my uncles, well great-uncle to be exact, but that is neither here nor there." said Hermione nonchalantly. The confused look that McGonagall had for most of the conversation reappeared.

"I believed that you were a muggleborn, as that is what was written by the magical quill when you were born. You had non-magical parents."

"Even parchments and quills can be jinxed Professor, if one knows how." dismissed Hermione. "what matters is that my uncle is annoying me to hell and high water and as I said I wouldn't be surprised if he was doing it so I would blow up the castle and kill everyone. He would take great pleasure in it actually."

"Oh Merlin, please don't tell me that we have _another _Dark Lord wandering the earth." groaned Professor McGonagall, sinking deeper into her chair. "The wizarding world couldn't survive it."

"You're safe Professor." said Hermione, looking sadly at the woman who had appeared to have aged ten years in front of her. "While he takes pleasure in the death of others, he can't actually take lives. He can manipulate people to do so, but he can't be the direct cause of death. It's one of the requirements of his position. Besides, the majority of the time his brother steps in to stop him."

"While it is a comfort to know that he can't kill anyone directly, it still worries me Hermione."

"Don't worry. So far he hasn't done anything and he's been around for a while, I don't think that he will start now." Hermione gave a sad smile. "Anyway, can we please go back to the topic at hand. As I said, come the first snow or the 16th of December, I will be leaving Hogwarts. Don't try to find me because I can guarantee that you won't. This also isn't up for negotiation. I will be leaving for everyone's safety, it is for the best."

Professor McGonagall sat back up in her chair, resuming her persona as Headmistress and no longer as a friend.

"Understandable. You are of age and you no longer needed to attend Hogwarts. You are free to leave. However, please understand that Misters Potter and Weasley would be very upset if you went."

"I know. I hate that I have to leave them but I do and there is honestly nothing I can do about it. I knew it was coming, but I just didn't know when." sighed Hermione, absently stroking Delic who was well asleep in her lap and snoring lightly.

"There is also the matter of your punishment." Hermione's eyebrows rose. "Oh yes Miss Granger you are being punished for the accidents and also for leaving the castle for a period of time without consent." Hermione nodded her head, understanding that it needed to be done.

"As punishment for almost blowing up the castle twice, you will be spending the evenings with Professor Slughorn in the potions classroom for two weeks, one week for each explosion. It is up to him as to what your punishment will be. Scrubbing cauldrons, labelling or sorting ingredients or something else entirely. As for leaving the grounds without permission, all Hogsmeade privileges are revoked until your last day at Hogwarts."

"That is fair Professor and I accept the punishments." said Hermione. "Two weeks with Professor Slughorn in the potions classroom and three and a half weeks without leaving the castle."

"Three and a half weeks?" said Professor McGonagall, partly amused but also partly worried, since Hermione had seemed to have lost track of time. "There are only three weeks until the 16th of December, Miss Granger. It has been four days since you disappeared. It is now the 25th."

"Oh dear, so that's what he meant when he said more time had passed then I realised." she said almost under her breath. Looking down at Delic she noticed that he was now awake and looking at her. She cursed her uncle for always having to be right.

"Damn you Hades."

* * *

><p><strong>So, I've got a little game. I never mentioned what creature Delic is. I haven't actually thought of a name for what his breed is. <strong>**How about you guys give me a suggestion of what breed he is. Leave a review or PM me with your suggestions. **

**In my head Delic looks like a Lamb except with fur instead of wool. Normally when calm he acts like a puppy when excited but gets very protective when he feels threatened or wants to protect what he considers him. He is like a mood ring, in which his fur changes colour. However, two or more colours are needed to truely work out his mood. (usually the horns and fur colour)**

**Hope you enjoyed, and I hope to get the next chapter out soon, i'll be moving house very very soon. **

**Cheers!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Hermione exited the Headmistress's office with Delic in her arms, the normally hyper creature dead to the world asleep, crashing like a child who had just had a sugar rush. She was greeted at the bottom of the stairs by Harry, Ron and Ginny.

"What did McGonagall say?" asked Harry, small worry lines etched lightly on his forehead and around his eyes.

"Not much. Detentions of course. Two weeks with Professor Slughorn in the potions classroom and no leaving the grounds." she answered honestly, omitting that she would be leaving soon, prepared to tell them later that evening, or even not until she left. She didn't want to disappoint them, they did mean a lot to her after all.

"Well that's not too bad. At least she went easy on you." said Ron, smiling. "At least she is still on our side."

"It's not about who is on what side Ronald Weasley. Didn't you learn from the War at all?" yelled Hermione angry that even after a war that took the lives of many people, friends and enemies alike that even one of her best friends was still on a side. "There is no good and evil Ron, for Hades sake get that through your head!"

"Calm down Hermione, I didn't mean it like that." he said, stepping back from the enraged witch standing in front of him. Delic woke up from the jolting movements that Hermione was making and all the yelling.

"Calm down?" snapped Hermione. "It's people like you Ronald Bilius Weasley that cause things like what happened during the war. All the prejudice in the world comes from people like you who are too proud in their ways to see that there is more then what is beyond their existence! And I've had enough of it! I hadn't planned on telling you yet, or even at all but I will be leaving Hogwarts soon due to everything that has happened and all the prejudice that still runs rampant within these sacred walls where many people, family, friends and enemies alike, were slain because of prejudice." So much for not telling them.

The three friends gasped at Hermione's words, in shock that she would even consider doing such a thing. Surely their friend was stronger then this?

"You're leaving Hermione?" asked Harry, saddened that his best friend, his sister, was considering leaving.

"Yes Harry. I'm leaving." answered Hermione, her heart sinking as she looked into his eyes, knowing that his heart was breaking due to the possibility that he was losing his sister. Hermione couldn't help but notice how much this was beginning to affect her dearest friend.

"I don't believe you." said Ron, stubborn as always, and not believing that Hermione would actually leave. "You can't leave. You belong here with me ... with us, I mean."

"Holy mother of Merlin, she is!" cried Ginny as she spotted something that the others had yet to. "Look, her Head Girl badge is missing." Harry and Ron both looked to where Hermione always pinned her badge and made sure that it was sitting just so on the right hand side of her shirt, jumper or cloak, whichever she was wearing that day, however much to the boys surprise and shock Hermione's Head Girl badge was not there.

"Merlin, Hermione, what did you do?" asked Ron, in stunned disbelief, the fact that his friend may actually be leaving them slowly starting to sink into his mind.

"I did what I had to Ronald. You may not understand my reasoning behind my actions and maybe you never will, but this is something that has to be done." said Hermione, shifting Delic in her arms, the creature becoming impatient with the need to sleep.

"But Hermione..." started Ron before being cut off by Hermione.

"Not now Ronald. When the time comes you will understand more, at least I hope you will. I honestly cannot stay here and I need to leave and there is nothing that you can do that will stop me from leaving. So let the matter drop for now and lets head back to the common room, shall we?"

"Alright Hermione." said Harry, being the more rational minded of the three friends, however his tone of voice hinted that this conversation was not yet over.

"Thank you Harry." Hermione gave her level headed friend a small smile that would mean the world to him in the coming weeks and months ahead, not that Hermione would know. The four friends made their way in silence down the winding corridors toward the Gryffindor common room. Just before the portrait into the common room Hermione stopped.

"Harry, can I talk to you?" The other three Gryffindors turned to look at her, Ron about to speak before Hermione cut him off. "Alone, please." Harry nodded and waited for the ginger haired Gryffindors to head into the common room.

"What is it Hermione?" Asked Harry. Hermione looked closely at her best friend and noticed that in the time it took to traverse the corridors to the common room, Harry, while silent, had been thinking about everything Hermione had said and was trying to come to terms with the fact that his sister was leaving him, quite possibly for good.

"Harry, I'm sorry." she said, sadness creeping into her voice. "I'm so sorry." Harry stood in front of her, shoulder slumped, his body language screaming out that his entire being was filled with misery.

"All I want to know is why Hermione." he said, voice just above a whisper. Hermione hugged Delic closer to her, hanging her head in sorrow. The little creature, awake again at this point, made a soft cooing sound that sounded mournful even to her ears, and changed his fur and horns to a misty pale blue and grey respectively to reflect her mood.

Hermione didn't want to hurt Harry anymore then what he had been hurt during the war. Harry took the deaths of those closest to him personally and even though it had been six months since the end of the war, he was still no where near ready to lose someone else close to him. He was still recovering from the emotional toll of the war, they all were.

"I'm so, so sorry Harry. I wish I could truly explain everything to you, but I can't. There are things that are not for me to tell." Tears were beginning to form in her eyes, saddened at the thought that she was breaking his heart even more. "There is so much I want to tell you. So much, and I honestly don't want to leave you behind but I have too. It pains me so much to know that I will be leaving you all alone."

"Hermione, please." Pleaded Harry, tears falling from behind his glasses, slipping down his face and falling to the floor. "I have to know." Hermione's own tears that had formed but not fallen began their own journeys down her cheeks to meet their shattering end.

"Harry, I can't. I honestly can't." She cried. "I can't stay here, I'm so sorry. Malfoy was right, all these years - I don't belong here." Harry's head shot up at her confession.

"Malfoy? What does he have to do with this? What did he say to you Hermione? If he hurt you in anyway, I'll kill him!" spat Harry, anger flooding through his veins and ready for a fight, anything that would stop his chosen sister from leaving. Hermione, startled by his reaction, almost dropped Delic.

"Harry no! He didn't do anything!" pleading with Harry to not go out on a violent rampage and murder the young Malfoy. "I was referring to what he has been saying for the last eight years. That because I am muggleborn I don't belong here." She tried to placate her friend, with little success.

"Hermione, out of everyone in this school, no, not just Hogwarts, in this magical world that we live in, there is no one more deserving to be a witch then you. You belong here, no matter what other people say." Said Harry, while most of his anger seemed gone, Hermione knew that he was holding onto deep inside and would wait for the opportune moment to strike, no matter how rash he was. It was moments like these that Hermione understood why, back on the very first night in Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat wanted to put Harry in Slytherin.

"Thank you Harry." Hermione gave a sad smile. "But that's not true. As much as this pains me to say, Malfoy is right and has been right since the beginning. It's not that I don't deserve to be here, Goddess knows that I've spent the last eight years trying to prove that I do belong here, among the most prejudice people I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. It's the fact that I don't belong here and its not because I am a muggleborn Harry, far from it really. I don't belong here because for the last eight years there has been more to the story than anyone has been told and its a story that I cannot tell you, that I cannot tell anyone, because it is not just my story to share. I'm sorry." Harry looked at her, confusion marking his features.

"That makes no sense Hermione. You think that you don't belong here?" Harry said. "I can't think of anyone who doesn't deserve to be here more then you and not because you are a witch, muggleborn as you may be. From the very beginning you didn't let others push you down because you were different, studying all the time and being, as Snape and Malfoy say a 'little know-it-all' or bookworm. You were true to who you were, a strong independent woman (even if you were still just twelve years old at the time) who was the smartest of us all. You didn't break until Ron and my idiotic comment. We still regret that you know." Hermione gave a small smile.

"Hermione, even after the two of us being stupid boys, you managed to forgive us, even if a troll was thrown into the mix and pushed us along the road of friendship. After all the years where we have treated you badly, asking for homework help, ignoring you, dismissing your logic and sound reasoning, you still forgave us. I also can't forget that you are one of the most kind hearted people I know. Helping those who can't or won't help themselves. Crookshanks, Buckbeak, the house elves even Ron and I. That is why I believe you deserve to be here. You are the most forgiving, kind hearted person I know and I don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose one of my best friends, my sister, all because she can't stand to deal with the prejudice that still lingers after a very recent war." Hermione was crying openly at Harry's kind words, however undeserving she believed she was to have them.

"You of all people know that recovering after something as traumatic as a war doesn't happen overnight for a person, family, community or even a country. You've studied the World Wars back in the muggle world. You know that it can take years to recover and have things back to the way they were, or almost to the way they were. Nothing can ever be the same. And as for there being more to the story, does it really matter? Everything I need to know about you, I've learnt from being your friend, your brother, but if you believe that whatever information that there is in a story that I haven't got is more important then what I have learnt first hand, then I guess you are right and you don't belong here. But I know that, after everything, no matter what the story is, you deserve to be here. This is where you belong. With your family."

"Harry!" sniffed Hermione, wanting to fling her arms around him, but was unable too because of Delic. "Thank you. As much as I believe I don't deserve your words of kindness, I know that you mean them from your heart. It is what you believe and I am honestly grateful that someone has taken even the most smallest amount of time to even think of me as such. I feel terrible and I honestly don't deserve your friendship for deceiving you for so long." Harry just shook his head at her.

"Hermione. You didn't deceive me." He said simply. Hermione was shocked, she knew that she had.

"That's not true Harry. I've been deceiving you from the start." Again, Harry shook his head at her.

"No, you didn't Hermione. While you may be keeping things hidden from me and everyone else around you, you can't hide the very core of who you are. You are a kind and forgiving young woman who is a strong as stone yet as gentle as a lamb. You can be a vengeful goddess when provoked but as caring as a mother with a newborn child. You protect what you deem as yours like the lioness, the female version of our house mascot. That is who you are. That is who my best friend is. That is my sister. Not what she hasn't told me."

"Oh Harry!" Hermione cried and flung herself at the man, being careful not to drop Delic, and gave Harry a hug, sobbing and whispering "Thanks and I'm sorry." Over and over. Harry returned the embrace and patted Hermione on the head, comforting her. After several minutes the two pulled apart and looked at each other with small smiles.

"Thank you Harry." Said Hermione, Delic cooing happily in her arms, now a cobalt blue and indigo combination showing that he was content. Harry smiled down at the creature that she was holding.

"I still want an explanation though. Whatever you can tell me, I'm more then happy to take." Hermione's content mood disappeared and a frown marred her face again.

"Harry, I can't stay. I don't want to deal with the prejudice any..." Harry cut her off.

"Hermione, cut the crap. I know that you know that I know that it is a lie and I wont accept that you won't deal with prejudice that you have dealt with for eight years. You are stronger then that and you know it. I want a real reason Hermione." Hermione sighed and debated what to tell Harry. Obviously the truth was out. So a part truth would have to suffice, anything less and he would know.

"Harry as I said, I can't tell you. Its not my just my story to tell, and honestly I'm not supposed to tell you anything at all." She hung her head again and sighed. "What I can tell you is I'm being punished for something that I did and I have to leave Hogwarts to carry out that punishment. That is all that I can tell you." Harry pondered what Hermione said for a few seconds before giving a small smile and nodding.

"I'll accept that for now Hermione. I'll let the matter drop for now, but I want a full explanation when you leave." Hermione nodded, but didn't promise anything, as she had no intention of telling Harry everything and as much as she wanted to, Hermione couldn't tell them anything more then what she had already told, and to be honest she was surprised that she hadn't been punished for what she has already told people.

"Thanks Harry, when the time comes you will know as much as I can be allowed to tell you. That is all I can promise." Harry nodded, agreeing to as much as she can promise him.

"I'll take what I can get for now and hold you to your word for the future." The pair smiled at each other and by mutual decision the subject was dropped and they headed into the common room to join Ginny and Ron before heading to bed, what the pair didn't realise was that majority of the Gryffindor students were sitting and waiting for Hermione to come in so that they could ask her what had been going on and where she had been for the last four days.

"Oh my." Were the first words that she uttered into the silence of the common room, which was unusually silent. Lavender came forward to stand at the front of the group. It seemed like she was going to be the spokesperson for the Gryffindors, and there was no doubt that anything Hermione said would be all over the corridors of the castle by tomorrow morning at the latest.

"Hermione, what in Merlin's name has been going on? We deserve an explanation! And what in Merlin's saggy underwear is that thing?" she asked, pointing at Delic who was still in Hermione's arms. Delic, offended at being called a thing, turned a pale red and black. Hermione bristled at Lavender as well.

"Firstly Lavender, his name is Delic." Said Hermione, patting Delic to try to calm him down and to try and calm himself down. "I honestly don't know what he is, but that doesn't matter because he is the sweetest creature that I have ever met. Secondly, I hardly think that you, or the rest of the castle need to know what has been going on."

"I think we do Hermione. You nearly killed us, twice!" the majority of the common room nodded their agreement. Hermione looked around at the others in the room, glancing particularly at Ginny and Ron, both having nodded at Lavender's declaration.

"The only thing that you deserve to know is that I'm sorry for what happened, it was an accident. The explosions were a complete accident, and I don't intend for them to happen again. You don't need to know any more then that." Lavender and some of the others began to protest at Hermione's short statement, clearly upset that she wasn't saying anything or offering any explanations.

"Hermione we deserve to know what happened." Said Pavarti, moving to stand next to her friend. Hermione and Delic both were becoming angry at their insolence and the fact that they had the nerve to think that they deserved a full explanation. Delic's pale red fur was becoming more vibrant and his black horns becoming darker, it was obvious that he was picking up on Hermione's mood, but underneath it all, he was still offended at being called a thing. He had feelings too.

"You think you deserve to know? You think you are all entitled to know? I will give you the same explanation that I gave to the Headmistress and that is all you are going to get because that is all you deserve. Most of you don't even deserve that with the way that you have treated me within the last few days, no, the last few months!" said Hermione, clearly angry and disappointed with everyone for ganging up on her. "The explosions that happened over the last couple of weeks? You know those? They are a physical manifestation of the chaotic state of my mind. My mind is chaotic due to the after effects of the war. The explosions are because I can't sleep at night due to the nightmares that wake me up screaming - the same nightmares that wake you all up. I can't control my dreams and I can't control how my magic is responding to my mind. I know what you are thinking, you are all probably thinking that I am going crazy but I'm not. Most of you probably have experienced something similar after the Battle of Hogwarts." She looked at each of the students one by one, reminding them of the tragedies that they all suffered through the war, and while she didn't mean to, Hermione had inadvertently made them feel guilty about cornering her.

"You have all had the nightmares I have had. Seeing the people that you know, who you grew up with, dying on the grounds outside. Seeing the castle fall around you as you battle for you lives. No one our age should have to have seen or done the things that we have done. We are children, we were innocent at heart. Now, because of the war we have had to grow up faster then we should have, the magic of innocence that the youngest students have is gone, all because of a madman who thought that he was better then everyone else. You think you deserve an explanation from me for what's been happening? Until you have been in the position I was in during the war, you will never understand." The students hung their heads in shame, guilty that they hadn't taken the time to ask what was wrong, that they hadn't given her the chance to explain. Tears fell from her eyes and the room was silent as they all remembered their own experiences from the war. One student stepped forward, a small fifth year student that Hermione would tutor during the week in transfiguration.

"What happened Hermione? What happened to make you scream so badly at night?" she asked, braver then all the students who stood before her. Hermione look at her with sad eyes, the weariness of the last sixteen, nearly seventeen, months reflecting through them and throughout her body. She couldn't tell them the real truth but she could tell them the truth of what happened in the war that would make any normal person scream during the night with the nightmares that she had to endure during the final days of the war. She gave the young girl a small, yet sad smile before looking at Harry and Ron, silently apologising to the them for the memories she was about to bring up for them.

"We were on the run. The Snatchers were chasing us and we were unlucky enough to be captured, but not before I was able to hit Harry in the face with a stinging jinx so they wouldn't be able to recognise him. We were taken to the Death Eaters Headquarters, or at least one of their strongholds." Hermione paused, shuddering slightly at the memories. Delic, now a steely grey and very pale blue, cooed sadly and snuggled into Hermione's arms trying to comfort his mistress. "We were greeted by several high level death eaters and were questioned. Our belongings were searched and they found something in my bag that was supposed to be in Gringotts."

"What was it?" asked the same girl. Hermione looked at her again.

"The sword of Gryffindor." A mummer went around the room at this but Hermione continued. "Harry and Ron managed to pull it out of a lake in order for us to complete our mission that Dumbledore himself gave to Harry. However, the Death Eaters thought that it was inside Gringotts, safe and sound. Unfortunately it wasn't and we weren't willing to tell them where we got it and so the Death Eaters separated us, taking Harry and Ron to the cellar and leaving me with them." Hermione had to stop and put Delic down and the small creature pressed itself against her legs to try and comfort her. Hermione began to unbutton her left sleeve as she continued the story.

"The lead Death Eater began shooting off different hexes, mild ones at first but then it got worse. They didn't have the patience and so started to use worse spells." Hermione began to roll her sleeve up to her elbow. "They used the Cruciatus curse several times, taking their sweet time torturing me. I lost count of how many times they called out Crucio and how loudly I screamed every time. Eventually they got bored of magical torture and so began physically torturing me. A knife was pulled and they took the pleasure of carving the word 'Mudblood' into my arm, making a permanent scar." Hermione turned her arm to the crowd of Gryffindors to show them the scars that would never heal and were as clear as the moonlight when it reflects on the water. The vile word was presented, proof of all that she had suffered in the war. Some of the younger girls, and even the older girls, gave a gasp or a sob as they saw the scars, horrified at what she had experienced. Some of the boys even turned pale or slightly green at the sight. It was the fifth year girl who again broke the silence with but a single word.

"Who?" Hermione gave a saddened yet sinister smile. Sad because of what she had to endure but sinister since her tormentor was now dead.

"Bellatrix Lestrange." A gasp spread around the common room, the students shocked that this had happened to one of their own by one of the worst Death Eaters out there and that she had somehow managed to survive the torture inflicted upon her with her mind, mostly, in tact. There were few that escaped Lestrange alive with little to no permanent brain damage. Neville Longbottom's parents were proof of that.

"Does this mean that you were at ..." began one student before being cut off by Hermione.

"Malfoy Manor, yes." Another mummer went around the room, but this time there was a hint of malice behind the words that were identifiable to her ears. "And before you ask, yes, Draco Malfoy was present and watching the whole time." A cry of anger went up around the room at this. Hermione tried to calm everyone down, even Harry and Ron tried but with little success as the students were out for blood. Miraculously, it was Dean Thomas who settled the students down.

"QUIET!" his voice echoed around the room and everyone stopped and looked at the dark man. "I was there, you know. I'd been captured by the snatchers just before Harry, Ron and Hermione were. I could hear Hermione screaming down in the cellar and its not something that you want to hear. Ever. I had seen Malfoy in the drawing room. He was as helpless as us, as trapped as us. He couldn't fight, he couldn't save us. There were at least three Death Eaters in the room, not to mention the Snatchers and Fenrir Greyback. Bellatrix wouldn't have hesitated to kill him if he even tried to rescue us." The group remained unconvinced at his words and so Harry spoke up.

"It's because of Malfoy that I am even alive. Why all of you are alive." He stated, backing up Dean's words, giving proof that it wasn't his fault. "Malfoy lied to Lestrange and his father when they asked him to identify me while I was under the stinging jinx. It was clearly me and he knew it and yet he lied to save us all." The group was quiet at his words.

"I'm not asking you to be best friends with him, I'm not even asking you to be nice to him." Said Hermione after a few moments, breaking the silence. "As Dean said, there was nothing that he could have done. He would have been killed along with the rest of us but he at least deserves our respect for keeping Harry alive so that he could defeat Voldemort."

The common room was silent as they tried to digest all that they had been told. No one knew what the trio had to go through and they were thankful, yet horrified, for even the smallest glimpse into the trio's lives during the war. After several moments and the silence still reigned in the room, Hermione bent down and picked up Delic and headed to the female dormitory staircases but just as she was about to step onto them a small voice that she didn't recognise echoed around the silent room.

"Thank you." Hermione turned and gave a sad smile at the group in front of her, the twenty students that now knew what she had done for them to stay safe, to stay alive.

"I hope that you would have done the same." She said before turning back and headed up the stairs and to get ready for the day.

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><p>AN:

I know that most of what was written here is rehashed from the book, but i hope it gives a clearer idea of what is happening in her head. And, I know it is not much of an ending or much happening in this chapter but it was an emotional rollercoaster to write, but i had to end it here. It was getting so long that i had to split the chapter in two. There was something that i wanted to get to but at this stage it will be in the next chapter but it probably won't be until the end of the chapter, and I so badly want to write it but its just didn't quite fit in with what i was writing here and seemed to get further and futher away when I was writing.

Anyway, i hope you have an enjoyable Christmas and a Happy New Year if i don't post before then.

Please review guys, i'm seriously interested to know what you guys think. (Also, i need to know what the Hades to call Delic's breed. I have no clue what he is.)


	6. Chapter 6

****Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor it's characters which i am using to my own enjoyment. Nor do I own the song to which this fic inspired me.****

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

Since it was a Thursday and Hermione had missed several days of school due to being in the fields, Hermione was pretty much going to have to go to classes, no matter how tired she was and how many confrontations she had had that morning. She placed Delic on the bed and the small creature gave a happy coo and snuggled into the mattress and went to sleep. She gave a small smile and proceeded to get ready for the day, thankful for once that the other girls had the intellect to leave her be for once. Once she was ready she grabbed her bag, books and made sure that this time she did have her wand with her before exiting the room and heading back down the winding staircase to the now empty common room. Well, almost empty. Harry and Ron were waiting for her by the fireplace. Hermione gave them a small smile.

"Thank you for waiting, but you didn't have to you know. You are late for classes as it is and I am not going to help you with your homework this time." She said. The boys smiled at her, knowing that even after confrontation this morning she was still their Hermione.

"We know." Said Harry, standing up and making his way towards her, Ron following and the trio made their way out to the corridor. "But we wanted to make sure that you were alright. We know that this morning couldn't have been easy for you." Hermione nodded at his statement as they made their way down the staircase, making sure to miss the trick step that Neville always forgot.

"You're right, it wasn't easy but it had to be said." She answered. "Anything less and they wouldn't have believed me. They wanted to know the truth and so I gave it to them. They thought that they deserved to know, now they know and hopefully they will think about it next time they think that they deserve to know something about someone that they have no reason to know about unless that person wants them to know. Sometimes the truth is ugly and I hope this makes it clear to them." Harry nodded in agreement.

"You were right to do it but I'm sorry that it came to it. I wish that there was something that we could have done. Back at Malfoy Manor and even there, but we couldn't and we both feel bad about it. Don't we Ron?" Ron nodded his agreement.

"It's true. No one deserved the treatment that you got from them, but you have to remember that they didn't know why you were screaming and waking them up. Blimey, even I didn't know the extent in which Lestrange tortured you until today and I was in that cellar with Harry and Dean. Honestly, I don't blame you one bit for screaming the way that you do. I heard the real screams that day in the manor and I hear it each time that you sleep. Its terrifying."

"Thanks guys I feel so much better." Said Hermione half sarcastically, half serious, knowing that the boys knew what she was trying to do. She then turned completely serious. "Thank you though, for being there. That means more to me then anything in the world. Both then and now."

"We know Hermione." Said Harry, stopping out the front of the Transfiguration classroom and pulling Hermione into a hug. Ron pulled her into an embrace as well as soon as she was released from Harry's, and he held her slightly longer then what she was comfortable with, but she wouldn't tell him that. After the sentimental moment between the three of them, they gave each other a smile and Harry opened the doors to the classroom and entered, apologies on his lips for Professor McGonagall, who was still teaching even though she was headmistress, since a suitable replacement had yet to be found. However their apologies were not needed since Professor McGonagall knew what had been happening and in an uncharacteristic move, allowed them to take their seats without any punishment.

"Today, as we have been doing for the past few lessons, we will continue to study the art of animagus. While we have studied these back in your third year that was only a preliminary introduction into animagus." Said Professor McGonagall, as she began the lecture for the day. The class was smaller then it had been in previous years, due to the war and many of the students not returning for fear that it wasn't safe for them or having secured jobs in the Ministry of Magic. This year the class was taught differently to previous years. This year, due to the reduced numbers, the standard and advanced transfiguration classes were taught at the same time, but slightly different material, with the advanced students, in which there were five, being naturally taught the more complex material.

"Now, as you all know not everyone can become an animagus, it is a complicated and dangerous type of magic and so I do not expect all of you to be able to master it. For those of you who cannot become an animagus or those of you who I believe do not have the magical skills and talent to become an animagus we will be working on self transfiguration. This skill, you could say, is the weaker form of an animagus. Unlike a true animagus, one who has self transfigured themselves only has a short period of time in their animal form."

For once Hermione wasn't taking any notes even though her equipment was out, in fact it didn't look like she was listening at all. Hermione was looking out the window, her chin resting on the palm of her hand with a far away expression on her face. Harry and Ron, even Professor McGonagall, noticed but didn't say anything, coming to the conclusion that she was still trying to process all that had happened this morning and that she needed time to just chill and calm down. When in actual fact, while she appeared to not be listening, she was in fact taking in every word that the professor was saying, but was automatically filing it away in her mind for later recall, she just wasn't compelled to write anything down.

"Of course there are several factors with also affect how long the transformation lasts." McGonagall waved her wand at the board and it began to write down the key points. "The first is the strength of the casters magical core. The weaker the wizard or witch, the shorter the transformation will last. This spell uses a lot of magic and actually weakens the caster physically due to the draining effect that it has on the persons magical core. There is however a safety trigger within the spell so that when the magical core reaches a minimum level it ensures that there is still enough magic left within the witch or wizard to change back into a human. Of course the stronger the magical core, the longer the person can stay within the animal form, however the after effects still apply." The scratching of quills on parchment sounded throughout the classroom as everyone took down the notes while Professor McGonagall paused to give them a chance to catch up.

"The second factor which effects the transformation is the size of the animal. If you have done the reading that I had asked you to do, and I can guarantee that they majority of you haven't, you would know that the smaller the animal the harder it is to transform into. Humans are naturally large creatures compared to the majority of the animal kingdom, therefore trying to transfigure oneself from six foot to say a half inch bee, would take vasts amounts of concentration and magical ability. While the concentration level is decreased slightly when transformed, one would need to sustain your concentration levels even after you have transformed to hold the transformation. You cannot be distracted easily or the transformation will reverse. Also, again, due to the level of magic in ones magical core, there is only so much magic available to transform someone. It takes more magic to transform into a small creature so the most common transformation is the common household dog." The professor continued telling the class what the other factors were that affected the self transfiguration and Hermione, uncharacteristically, almost tuned out having been one of the few who had actually read the prescribed reading. Her mind drifted off to another place, in fact it drifted back to where she was this morning back in the fields.

The fields were usually quite pleasant, as they were that morning, but she had been there when storms had rolled through. It was a beautiful thing to watch, yet dangerous being out in the open and watching as the lightning lit up the sky as the storm danced its way over the fields. The storms at the fields were far more violent than any storm that she had experienced in Scotland. Although, storms were rare there however and so she was thankful that she hadn't had to watch too many of them, as much as she loved watching storms.

From her memory the fields stretched for miles before ending at the east at the boarders of a large lake. Hermione remembered spending many mornings watching as the sun rose over the lake, the small golden flecks dancing on the water and a younger Hermione thought that the sun was playing a game with the water as the water rippled and folded over into waves on the lakes shore. Her train of thought was interrupted by Professor McGonagall and so she diverted her mind back to the lecture.

"So to recap the factors are: The amount of power in the magical core of the caster and their magical ability, the size of the animal, concentration, the surrounding environment and magical transportation which will automatically cancel the spell. Now the incantation is bestia mutatio and the wand movement is as follows." The professor waved her wand in a series of complicated movements and suddenly turned into a large German Shepard. Quiet mutterings were heard around the classroom as they watched the professor as she turned back into the woman that they knew her as.

"Now, I don't expect you all to master this spell on your first try, just like with those who are going to try to become animagus. I will be very surprised if you were about to change your hair colour or sprout fur or scales of any kind today. Now could everyone, except those in the Advanced Transfiguration course, get out their wands and begin practicing. Those doing the Advanced course please make your way to the classroom next door." Hermione and the four other advanced students picked up their wands and made their way out to the next room leaving their belongings behind, as per normal and took their seats at the desks. Minutes later Professor McGonagall entered the classroom and began to give the students their instructions.

"In order to become an animagus you have to have a clear mind. For the first lesson today you are going to learn to be able to meditate quickly and try to find out what your animal transformation is. They will all be normal creatures, as in non-magical creatures, since only the most powerful of wizards can become magical animagus, and even then it is near impossible for them. Now if you will take a seat wherever you feel comfortable." Three of the students sat on the floor, the other conjured a bean bag to sit on and Hermione remained seated where she was.

"For those of you who had done some study in Divination, the concept and method of meditation will be familiar to you." Continued McGonagall once the students were settled. "Now you will close your eyes and try to erase all thought from your mind. Once your mind has been sufficiently cleared, try to look inside yourself for where your magic resides, for most people their magic is tied to their emotions and is near their figurative heart. You may or may not find the source of your magic today however I am going to assume that you all know where your magical core is. Once you have found it you will delve deep into it and search for an animal that is not your patronus, if you have managed to succeed in producing one." Hermione and the other students gave small knowing grins, they had all managed to produce a patronus thanks to Dumbledore's Army back in their fifth year.

"Once you know what your animagus form is, that is if you can find it, you will then notify me before heading to the library where you will study the anatomy and physiology of the animal. This is very important since you need to know how to move around in this form and how you will transform your human self to the animal and back again. It is no easy feat at first and there are only a few who actually manage it to become an animagus. Are there any questions?" The five students shook their heads. "Then I wish you all good luck." And with that Professor McGonagall left the room, closed the door behind her returning to the rest of the class.

The five students looked at each other quickly, wishing each other luck, before making themselves comfortable and beginning their meditations. Hermione however, did not begin meditation, she wasn't at all interested in even trying at the moment, she had other things on her mind.

Hermione was dragged out of her thoughts when one of the other students suddenly gasped out loud, the sound echoing around the almost empty classroom. Hermione turned to face Padma Patil who was on the floor with her eyes wide open, a small smile on her face. The other three students opened their eyes and also looked at Padma questioningly.

"I found it." Was all she said, excitement built between the other three students as they realised that Padma had found out what her animagus form was.

"And? What is it?" asked Ernie. Hermione decided to step in before Padma made a mistake and revealed what her animagus was.

"I do not think it would be a good idea if you told us your animagus form Padma." She said, much to the chagrin of the other students who begin to complain. "I'm sorry, I know you are all curious but it is for safety reasons. We are still recovering from the war and information like that would not do to fall into unwanted hands. Maybe when things settle down. You best go to Professor McGonagall Padma. Congratulations." Hermione gave the other girl a small smile as Padma nodded, smiled back, got up and left the room while wishing everyone else luck.

"It was amazing how she was able to get it so quickly." Commented Ernie. Hermione had thought that it would take a lot longer for the first person to find out their animagus form and yet only a quarter hour had past. Hermione reasoned that it could do with the fact that Padma, Pavarti and their family were Hindu's and meditation was a part of their religion and so came easily to her.

"Come, let us be heartened by Padma's success and try again for ourselves. I'm sure that we shall get it by the end of the lesson." The others agreed with Hermione and made themselves comfortable again and began meditating again.

Hermione this time tried to meditate, however it was halfheartedly. She closed her mind down and tried to focus on finding the source of her magic. The darkness that surrounded her when she eyes closed began to recede slightly as she delved deeper into her meditative state and a pinprick of light appeared and she headed towards it. Despite her best efforts to not meditate properly she slowly she became engulfed in the light and when she blinked open her figurative eyes she noticed that she was back in the fields that she found herself in that morning.

Hermione didn't need to look around to know where exactly she was. She was standing in the same spot that she had met Cybele. To the east was the lake, stretching far into the horizon, almost as if it were an ocean. To the south, Hermione remembered that the mountains were located in that direction and that they loomed over the valley where the fields were. The highest of the mountain peaks disappearing into the clouds and well out of sight. They were the never-ending winter, and Hermione used to avoid going to the mountains when she was younger since she did not like the cold and what that lived there. To the west was a forest, one that was filled with magical creatures that were far more mysterious and dangerous then the ones in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. And finally, to the north was the place that she hated most of all and where she knew she would be needing to go to to find her animagus form.

Hermione sighed, it figured that this would be the place where her meditations would take her. She sat down where she was standing on the hillside and looked out over the lake that was spread out before her. The sky reflecting off the water. It was peaceful, she admitted to herself as she lay back in the grass and looked at the sky. There was only the sound of a slight breeze as it weaved through the trees that occasionally dotted the field and the sounds of birds far off in the distance as they called to each other.

She wasn't really paying attention to the time as she lay there watching the clouds as they passed overhead, but it was the sounds of something large moving towards her that disturbed her peace. So lost in her meditation, in the illusion that this was real, that she had forgotten that no one else should be here, after all it was her mind. She sat up quickly, not thinking that it should only be just her here laying in the field. Hermione looked to the north where the sound was coming from and that's when she noticed it.

Coming towards her was a small chestnut coloured mare. Upon her brow was what looked like an inversed white shooting star. The tail of the falling star lost under the mares mane. The mare approached Hermione with confidence, as if she knew who she was even though Hermione had never seen the mare before. The mare stopped in front of Hermione and gave a small whinny, shaking her head. Hermione stood up and examined the mare. She was a beautiful creature, Hermione admitted to herself. She had large soulful eyes framed with long dark lashes which looked directly at her in a way that made her seem as if she knew something that Hermione didn't. Hermione stood there watching the mare but avoided touching her for several minutes before the mare snorted, shook her head and took a couple of steps back. Curious as to what she was doing, Hermione did nothing but watched as the mare began to change shape and within seconds, a young woman stood before her. Her hair was the same colour as the mare's coat as was as tall as Hermione herself was.

"Honestly. I thought you would have figured it out quicker then that." Said the young woman standing in front of her. "They say that you are the one of the brightest women around and that you are the star pupil of Hogwarts. I guess they were wrong." Hermione gave the other woman a small smile that convey that she in fact knew what was going on.

"On the contrary, I figured it out when I first saw you. I was curious as so why you approached me, since you aren't meant too." The other woman gave the same small smile back to Hermione.

"You weren't going to come find me where I was and I knew that you would be laying here trying to escape from the world. You do know that nearly an hour has passed while you were laying there, well I mean nearly an hour of the time in Hogwarts, since this place is outside of time."

"Actually it's not outside time, it just passes differently since we are in fact inside my mind." Replied Hermione. "Which leads me to ask, why you are here when you should be back there?"

"As I said, you weren't going to come and find me and I can't have you stay in this trance forever, people in the real world would begin to get worried about you. Going into a meditative trance and not coming out of it no matter what external noises and forces were used to wake you. So I sped up the meeting a little." She answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I wouldn't not have stayed her forever, I do have things that I need to do after all. I just may not have wanted to go back just yet." The other woman gave Hermione a knowing smile.

"You do no wish to become an animagus." Hermione gave a short laugh.

"Goddess, no! I find the whole thing quite silly really." The other woman gave a small laugh as well. "After all what need would I have to become an animagus? I certainly won't need to be one where I will be going after all." The other woman shook her head.

"On the contrary, you will need this knowledge at some point in the future." Hermione stopped laughing and frowned slightly at the woman.

"You are not supposed to tell me the future." The woman gave her a Mona Lisa smile.

"But I'm not. I'm giving you the knowledge that you already know, after all this is your mind and I am but a figment of your imagination."

"An annoying part." Muttered Hermione and gave a small scowl, crossing her arms across her chest.

"But a part none the less." Said the woman, still wearing the Mona Lisa smile. The other woman held her hand up to Hermione, waiting to see if she would put her hand in hers. "You know that you need to do this. You know that you really have no choice. After all, I am you." Hermione sighed and uncrossed her arms, knowing that the other woman - the other Hermione - was right.

"I know." Hermione said, as she lifted her right hand and placed it in the other Hermione's hand. The other Hermione transformed back into the mare and her hand was moved to rest on the mare Hermione's forehead on top of the star and within seconds Hermione had left the fields and was back in the classroom.

When Hermione opened her eyes she noticed that the other students that were in the room with her while doing the meditation were gone and that the classroom looked slightly different from before she began her meditation. Not in the physical sense that something had been moved, added or removed, but it looked different due to looking at it from a another angle with a different kind of perception. Her body felt different as well, like she was kneeling on all fours but she was standing slightly taller then her normal standing height. She shook her head and made a nickering sound, since she knew that she couldn't sigh. She had not only found out what her animagus was, she was already able to become her animagus. She was a horse, in fact the same mare that she had just had an 'encounter' with in her meditation.

Hermione heard quick footfalls outside the classroom and assumed, correctly, that it would be one of the students and Professor McGonagall. The professor looked slightly bewildered at the sight of a fully grown horse standing in the middle of the classroom, while Ernie was in a state of total disbelief.

"Oh my word!" she gasped. "Miss Granger, is that you?" Hermione did the only thing that she could do, nod her head.

"I honestly didn't expect that any of you would be able to become an animagus so quickly. It should not be possible." Hermione rolled her eyes as best she could while within the body of a horse. She concentrated on becoming a human once again and within seconds had turned back to her original form.

"I didn't expect to either, but I guess I should not be surprised." Hermione said calmly. "After all my magic has been going all over the place recently, as you well know professor." The Professor nodded and if Hermione didn't know the woman any better she would say that it was almost as if she nodded dumbly.

"Whatever the case may be Miss Granger, you should not have been able to do such a thing after such a small amount of time." Said McGonagall, having regained composure. "Five points will be taken from Gryffindor for not following instructions and twenty-five points will be awarded for managing to completing the spell." Hermione smiled.

"Thank you Professor." McGonagall gave a hint of a smile before become serious again, this time addressing Ernie.

"I trust that you will not reveal what has been accomplished here today to anyone Mister Macmillan." The boy shook his head.

"If you want me to forget what I have seen, it will be done Professor." He answered, before adding a little cheekily. "No matter how brilliant it was." The two women gave a quick and small smile.

"Then let it be forgotten Mister Macmillan. Miss Granger I do hope that you will do the right thing and not mention this to anyone." Said McGonagall. It was then that the bell rang signalling the end of classes and Professor McGonagall left the classroom to return to the main classroom to supervise the other students leaving and to remove any unwanted animal parts that remained on the other students. Ernie followed the professor leaving Hermione in the room by herself for a moment. Hermione looked out the window over the grounds and while they beautiful in their own ways, from the Great lake rippling gently in the breeze and its magical inhabitants to the Forbidden Forest and its misty paths and hidden trails, the grounds weren't as spectacular as the field from her mind, it held a particular majesty that she had yet to find anywhere else, but the castle grounds held a beauty uniquely their own.

After a few moments of looking out the window, Hermione turned and headed back to the transfiguration classroom to gather her belongings however as she reached the door Harry and Ron made their way out of the room, Ron carrying Hermione's packed bag having taken the liberty to gather her belongings for her. As grateful as Hermione was for the boys taking the initiative, she wanted the time to process the fact that she was now a full animagus and that she couldn't tell anyone, not even Harry or Ron. She gave the boys a warm smile.

"Thank you Ron, you didn't have too." She said, making the boy blush lightly and staining his cheeks a light pink colour, as well as the tops of his ears. Normally Hermione would think that Ron's blushing was cute and she knew that Ron liked her. After all, during the final battle she had kissed him when Ron suggested that they warn the house-elves to try and avoid another Dobby incident. However, in the weeks and months following the final battle and the onslaught of the nightmares since, her feelings towards Ron had changed or at least she finally acknowledged that they were never meant to be, but she thought that it didn't hurt to dream sometimes. And now that she had to leave there was no hope for them to be together and she only hoped that one day Ron would understand.

"It's the least that I could do, shall we head to the Great Hall and get something to eat?" he answered somewhat modestly and Hermione rolled her eyes, as well as Harry she noticed out of the corner of her eye, at the fact that Ron was thinking about food. Then again, when was Ron ever not thinking of food? She knew that Ron was more then capable of going long periods of time without the those thoughts going through his mind, since she had seen it happen so many times before, but it seemed like since the end of the war he had taken to eating, and subsequently thinking about, more food. Hermione thought that it might be a way that he used to cope with the passing of his brother Fred, and so she indulged him and let him eat more. However, she didn't plan on letting him get away with eating extra food, and decided that before she left she would try to at least talk to him about his eating habits, and try to get Harry to help him curb his binge eating.

"Ron, where are those brain cells that we know you have?" asked Harry, a smile of amusement gently gracing his face. He winked at Hermione and she caught on to the fact that he wanted to joke around with her at Ron's expense and she was more then happy to oblige.

"Brain cells Harry?" she asked, feigning shock, placing her right hand over her heart. "You mean to say that he has multiple brain cells? I always thought that he only had one, since his mind is constantly on food." Ron light blush turned of modesty slightly darker in embarrassment as they picked on him. Harry gave a short laugh.

"Of course he did Hermione, he had to have had at least three brain cells, since he also has to have had one for Quidditch and for girls as well." Said Harry, laughing lightly.

"Oh but he lost the brain cell that he had for thinking about girls with, remember?" she asked, laughing along with Harry as Ron's blush turned darker.

"That's right, how could I forget!" Harry exclaimed, hitting himself on the forehead lightly, while actually making it look like he had hit himself hard. "He lost that one when he dated Lavender Brown back in sixth year!" Both Hermione and Harry burst out into loud laughter causing Ron to blush even harder, however they were interrupted by a voice behind them.

"I have always said that the Weasel didn't have any brain cells, let alone two to even rub together, if that were even possible. I am so glad that the both of you are starting to see things my way." Both Hermione and Harry froze in their laughter and Ron turned sharply and whipped out his wand ready to curse Malfoy, however the Slytherin had already anticipated Ron's reaction and had his wand at the ready. Harry and Hermione wasted no time in getting out their wands.

"We don't care for your opinion, Death Eater." He hissed, red sparks shooting dangerously out of his wand. While Malfoy had saved them back in the Manor, Ron considered his Life Debt paid when the trio had rescued Malfoy and Goyle from the Fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement during the battle. Even though Malfoy had been less annoying in the previous months to the trio, he still made the odd appearance and scathing remark, mostly to Ron, since their two families would never get on.

"Ron, don't do anything!" said Hermione, making sure to try and place herself slightly forward of Ron ready to stop any spells sent by either male while Harry took a half step backward and readied himself to hold Ron back physically if necessary. It was a situation that had become more of a routine in the last few months, ever since the war. Harry and Hermione knew that Ron blamed Malfoy for what happened to his brother Fred, even though it was Augustus Rookwood's fault since he sent the curse that destroyed the corridor in which Fred and Percy were fighting in. Ron needed someone to blame and it was easier to blame someone that he knew then to blame a faceless, well almost faceless, stranger. At least that is what Ron thought and Hermione and Harry could only try to stop him from seriously harming Malfoy.

"Yes Weasley, don't do anything. We wouldn't want you to get into trouble now would we?" Malfoy laughed coldly, before he stopped and cast an icy glare at Ron. "You should know by now that I am not a Death Eater." Ron however, just glared fiercely back as hard as Malfoy was to him, his eyes filled with an angry flame. It was a constant battle of fire and ice between the two boys, neither side winning yet neither side losing.

"You bear the mark, therefore that makes you a Death Eater." Spat Ron, disgust laced his voice and his wand sparked a little more dangerously. Hermione, her wand at the ready, prepared to fire a protective charm at Malfoy if the situation became out of hand and Ron cast any spell at the Slytherin and vice versa.

"It's a mark that I never wanted!" Malfoy half shouted in annoyance at Ron, green sparks shooting out of his wand at the redhead.

"Liar!" shouted Ron, his face and ears now stained a deep crimson in his anger. "You have always wanted to be one! You would brag about becoming one when you were younger! No one ever changes that much."

"Ronald!" hissed Hermione, Harry shifted slightly behind Ron, tensing up and seriously preparing hold his friend back.

"What about Professor Snape then Weasel?" snapped Draco. "He was a Death Eater, in fact he was the Dark Lord's most trusted of all his servants, and yet he had changed. He fought for the light side until the end."

"That was different and you know it. Snape, however ridiculous it sounds and I can't even imagine it, was in love and did what he could to protect the person that he loved." Ron replied. "You on the other hand don't love anyone but yourself." Malfoy's glare became even more icy at that comment.

"How dare you say that I don't love anyone." He sneered. "How dare you insinuate that I don't love my mother. I did what I did for her. I became a Death Eater to protect her and I paid for it every single moment thereafter. How dare you!"

"Is that so? You did it to protect your mother. Likely story." Both boys were just about at each other's throats and ready to cast their first hexes.

"Ronald Weasley, stand down now." Snapped Hermione, trying to stop the situation from escalating into the violence that she knew was about to happen. However futile she knew her attempts to have them remain civil were, she tried anyway.

"Listen to the Mudblood, Weasley, its about time you should really." Sneered Malfoy, as he tightened his grip on his wand, preparing for the inevitable.

"No, I won't!" he yelled and with that, another war between Malfoy and Ron had been declared. Ron rushed forward, pushing Hermione out of the way and into the wall, making her hit her head harshly against the stones as he made his way towards the Slytherin and out of Harry's reach before Harry could grab a hold of his collar and hold the infuriated redhead back. In Hermione's dazed state she managed to cast a charm that would protect Malfoy from any spell that was cast by Ron however it was too late. Instead of casting a spell at the Slytherin like Hermione had predicted, Ron had unexpectedly went for a full physical assault. He threw his wand and his and Hermione's bags on the ground on the opposite side of the corridor to where Hermione was, pulled back his right arm and punched Malfoy in the face, doing far more damage then Hermione's slap back in their third year. After all she had only slapped him, even it if was very hard.

The Slytherin swore loudly, as Ron came in for another punch but was unable to land it as Harry had finally managed to restrain Ron as best that he could. Ron however didn't give up struggling. Malfoy held his hands to his face, blood leaking from his nose that Ron had broken. He managed to stay out of Ron's reach.

"That was for calling Hermione a Mudblood, you slimy git!" Ron managed to get out of Harry's hold and lashed out once again at the Slytherin, this time Harry was able to respond quicker and grabbed Ron around the shoulders before he could inflict anymore damage to Malfoy, at least that was until Ron managed to land a solid kick on Malfoy, catching him on he upper left thigh only centimeters from his family jewels. However, he had put enough force in the kick that it forced Malfoy onto his knees due to the sudden pain. Hermione had finally managed to clear her head after having it harshly bashed against the wall and cast a binding spell at Ron, giving Harry a chance to get both his and Ron's wands from the ground where they had been thrown.

"And that was for telling her she doesn't belong here." Hermione gave and audible gasp. She hadn't expected Ron to know about the conversation that she had had with Harry earlier that morning. Then again she should have known that Harry would tell Ron as soon as he was able too, after all they were practically brothers and told each other everything and she had been in the other Transfiguration classroom for most of the morning lesson and they had plenty of time to discuss everything while she prepared for the day.

Malfoy stood up, although it was slightly shaky due to the kick that Ron had landed, and Hermione knew that it would leave a nasty bruise in the coming hours. She winced when she moved her head to try and take in the scene that surrounded her. She rubbed her head where she had bashed her head, knowing that she would have a bump there and that she would have to go to the hospital wing to get it check out, even though she knew that she was going to be fine.

"Fuck you Weasley. Oh and for your information Weasel, I no longer think that she doesn't belong here. She's has been able to prove that she does, even if she is a mud... muggleborn." Spat Malfoy, pocketing his wand before turning to Hermione. "Next time Granger, fight your own battles, don't get the Weasel to do it for you." And with that he turned and attempted to walk gracefully away, however he had a slight limp due to the kick that Ron managed to land. Once he was around the corner and she could no longer hear his uneven footsteps in the corridor, she reversed the binding charm on Ron.

"You okay 'Mione?" he asked, temper still up but was able to notice that she was wincing slightly due to the headache that was coming on. Harry frowned as he noticed his 'sister' in pain.

"Never push me into the wall again Ronald Weasley or I'll have your guts for garters." She said, wincing even more as the headache became fiercer. "Now get me to the bloody hospital wing before my head explodes." The boys gave a light laugh as Ron bent down and grabbed their bags. The two boys supported Hermione as they made their way down to the hospital wing, ignoring the looks they were given by the other students as they neared the infirmary.

By the time that they reached the last turn before the infirmary, Hermione's headache had worsened to the point that she was beginning to see black spots in her vision. Harry let her go, mumbling something about notifying Madam Pomfrey that they were coming. He left the door open for the pair and as Ron and Hermione entered the room, Hermione was hustled away by the matron to a cot and the curtains closed, obscuring her view of the boys. She was poked and prodded with the medi-witches wand, and moments later her head cleared as a spell was cast to removed the headache temporally while the matron went to grab a potion. Hermione sighed and lounged back in the bed knowing that she would be here for a couple of hours, since Madam Pomfrey liked to be thorough, even holding students overnight if she felt it necessary.

The nurse came back with the potion, which Hermione drank with little resistance, although she gagged at the taste of the foul potion. Hermione noticed that she was beginning to feel tired and suspected that the nurse may have laced the headache potion with a sleeping potion. Hermione tried to fight to stay awake, knowing that head injuries could be dangerous if the patient fell asleep, yet she had no choice as her body succumbed to the potion.

The last image that she had was of her two friends lowering themselves into the seats beside her bed, ready for a long bedside vigil. In her last thoughts she wished that her 'uncle' wouldn't find out she was asleep and send her the nightmares. Her eyelids closed and she was carried away back to the fields where she would dream the sweetest of dreams. That is, she would dream until the nightmares began and then she wouldn't be able to escape back to her sanctuary until the nightmare was over.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note:** Hi guys, I am so sorry this took so long to get out. Real life was not kind to me after my internship. BUT here is a new chapter. I am now on a three month break from uni, so I may (work pending) have more time to write now. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

Hermione grumbled as she walked, no as she stalked, to the Great Hall for dinner. She wasn't in the best of moods since she was released from the hospital wing only moments before. She was grateful that she was able to get some form of rest before the nightmare came. Luckily for her Madam Pomfrey was able to wake her up before the man was sighted and she began screaming. However it wasn't easy for the older woman to wake her up, Hermione thrashed as soon as she was touched and once she had even hit the poor woman in the nose. Eventually she was up from her sleep, without screaming for once. Madam Pomfrey checked her over, and made sure that her patient was okay before giving Hermione a clean bill of health. Hermione thanked the nurse and left the hospital wing as quickly as possible.

Hermione had briefly wondered why the nurse had let her sleep, after all head injuries were quite notorious for being unpredictable, even among wizards, and why she was released so early, as the patient needed to be watched for twenty four hours after the injury occurred. Hermione had put it down to the nursing thinking that it was not too serious, and she herself knew that it wouldn't be, after all she had had worse injuries. Her thoughts continued to travel while she made her way through the corridors, eventually settling on Ron and his actions earlier in the day.

Hermione was not at all impressed with the way that her friend had been behaving of late, especially towards any Slytherin who was proven to have been a part of the Death Eaters, however he specifically attack Malfoy in particular and Hermione could understand why. What she couldn't understand though is why he singularly laid all the blame of every death eater on Malfoy. She knew it wasn't healthy for either Malfoy or Ron but there wasn't much that she could do to stop it other then try to prevent any fights that may occur. Try being the key word.

She walked through the doors into the Great Hall and even while lost in her thoughts, she immediately noticed that the vast room quietened down to a noise level only just above a whisper. It seemed that the news of the fight had spread quickly, not that she expected anything else, after all this was Hogwarts. She simply ignored the stares of the people, used to such things happening yet nothing would take away the irritation that came when this happened. She took a seat beside Harry at the Gryffindor table, Ron sat on the opposite side of the table and began to fill her plate for dinner. Harry nudged her lightly in the side and she looked at him, smiling lightly when he gave her a small, yet silly, grin which told her more then words could say, and because of that she smiled back at him before returning to dinner.

She managed to eat all of two mouthfuls before Ron spluttered out an apology, and typical of Ron flying food was involved. Hermione crinkled her nose at the display.

"Ron, please, I have asked you before not to talk when your mouth is full, especially if you are apologising. It doesn't look good at all and it makes it seem as if your apology was a last minute thought and it doesn't look sincere." She scolded the redhead watching him carefully with a disapproving stare as he quickly chewed and swallowed what looked to be a large amount of food.

"Sorry 'Mione." He repeated, this time not spitting his food everywhere. "You know, for this afternoon and for now." Hermione sighed, there was nothing she could really do, she couldn't hold onto the fact that he hurt her as it was an accident and she didn't think that anyone, not even his mother could clean up his eating habits.

"Ron, I forgive you for this afternoon, after all it was an accident. As for the food, well, that I can't really help you with, you just have to learn proper manners. It is simply deplorable how you eat, its like watching a lion devour its prey and not something that anyone wants to see. Even Goyle has better manners then you." She said, putting her cutlery down, and grabbing the glass of pumpkin juice in front of her, taking a small sip and savouring the taste before continuing.

"Ronald, I'm concerned about you, just as much as you are concerned about myself. While we are here I want to address your eating habits for good, since you know what will soon happen." Ron shook his head while stuffing another chicken drumstick in his mouth, chewing quickly and swallowing before answering her.

"Not now, 'Mione, I need to eat." Hermione looked out the corner of her eye and watched as Harry shook his head. She turned to face Harry and addressed him this time, leaving Ron alone to eat.

"Harry, if you are finished may I speak with you please?" Harry nodding in acceptance and the two made their way out of the Great Hall, leaving Ron alone with his food after informing him that they were going back to the common room. They walked silently through the hallways until they were at the moving staircases when Hermione couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"Harry, I need you to look after Ron." She blurted out, wincing as she said the words, she had hoped to ask better then she had.

"Hermione you don't have to...," Harry started but Hermione stopped him before he could finish what he was going to say.

"Harry, please. You know what I said and I will stand by it, I can't stay and you know that." She paused in what she was saying as several students from Gryffindor walked past on their way to the Great Hall, even though dinner was halfway through by now. "You also know how Ron feels about me." Harry stopped in his tracks in the middle of the moving staircase that Hermione had just stepped off.

"How did you find out? He thought that you didn't know." He asked, both forgetting for a moment where they were until the stairway beneath Harry slowly began to move away from the landing. Startled out of his semi-stupor he bolted up the staircase and onto the landing before it was impossible to get off on the landing.

"I may have my head in books all the time Harry, but that doesn't mean that I don't know when someone fancies me. Ron wasn't as secretive as he thought and has made his intentions clear on a couple of occasions, although it was unintentional. But it is because of his infatuation with me that my leaving will hurt him and further plunge him into a deep depression. I need you to not let that happen Harry." She told him, her eyes pleading with the man in front of her.

"How Hermione? When you leave I doubt I will be able to even look after myself." asked Harry, wearily almost as if it were acceptance of defeat, but Hermione knew that Harry had still yet to truly recover from the horrors of the war, and that the knowledge that she would be leaving him had finally done what Voldemort couldn't do. She was on the way to breaking him.

"You can Harry. You are so strong, more then you know. Do not give up. I may not be here in person but I will always, always be here." She placed her hand over his heart. "You and Ron will need each other and you will move on, your strength lies in your friendship with him, your brother. However, I fear that if either of you fall into the darkness of despair then neither of you will survive to see the long years of your life." Hermione wiped away a tear that fell from her eyes and reach out to wipe away his. Their tears combined on her fingers and fell to the ground.

"Hermione..." He whispered as her fingers caressed his cheek.

"Harry. You have to help him where I can't." She said. "I can't watch for much longer as he eats himself to death because of Fred. I don't want to imagine what it would be like when I leave knowing that I can never come back."

"Never?" Hermione gave Harry a look that would break not only his heart but would have broken hers as well if she saw it. Hermione shook her head, tears falling unstopped from her eyes.

"Never." Hermione shook her head even harder, tears falling even faster. It was in this moment that Hermione truly realised that she would never see her friends again and the fact finally hit home hard, almost taking her breath away at the realisation. "Never. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Harry." She repeated, no more then a whisper before she turned and ran down the corridor and fleeing away from Harry and up to the astronomy tower never knowing that curious grey eyes watched her as she passed by one of the many intersections.

Upon finally reaching the top of the tower she tripped upon the final step and fell to the ground but she did not get up, she only continued to cry because she did not care if she hurt herself, after all what could hurt her more then hurting those she cared about? She cared not that her hands had been shredded upon the uneven stone floor, nor that the cuts upon her knees were filled with tiny stones, nor that she left the door open for anyone who came up to the tower to see her reduced to crying out of grief.

Hermione didn't know how long she lay on the floor of the tower crying and when she looked up she noticed that the sky was black with nightfall with a few stars beginning to awaken from their slumber. She didn't wipe her eyes as she stood back up, nor did she clean the sluggishly bleeding scrapes upon her slowly throbbing hands and knees. She made her way to the edge of the tower and placed her clenched fists upon the battlements, not caring about the blood running between her fingers, nor the pain that lanced up her palms as her fingernails dug into the cuts. She looked at the stars and watched as one by one they appeared in the sky. Many things flittered through her mind, most specially how her friends would cope when she left for good, eventually her thoughts drifted to her uncles, and the anger and contempt that she had always held against them began to surface

"Are you happy?" she asked to the sky, her body shook with anger as she glared at the stars that dared mock her in her sadness. "Is this what you wanted?" Hermione took a deep breath before screaming to the stars. "ARE YOU HAPPY?" Hermione buried her head in her hands, blood covering her face, yet uncaring as it did so, not bothering to wipe off the blood that dripped onto her white shirt. She did not notice that raw magic was beginning to crackle and pulse around her in a bright halo of violent shade of crimson that was stained with the deepest black, her anger clearly visible now to any who dared brave visiting the tower now.

She breathed deeply to try and help control her temper at the stars, no the celestial beings that hid behind the guise of stars. Hermione was able to reign in her temper and the crimson aura dimmed slightly. She looked up at the stars again, looking for a particular star. It was alway hard to see, being as faint of light as it was, although it was never there most of the time, and Hermione was not surprised to see the star in the heavens this night, especially next to the star that it was. Hermione observed that the hidden star was almost next to a star that pulsed in its intensity in a seemingly random pattern. She glared at both stars and who they represented.

"I hate you. I hate you both." She spat, not caring that she sounded insane. After all which sane person talked to stars? The crimson aura of raw magic that once surrounded her returned in a startling shade of blood red. "Do you hear me Hades, I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!"

"It's nice to hear that you hate someone other then myself Granger. Who is this 'Hades' you hate so much? Surely even you must know that the Greek God of the Underworld is not a real being?" Hermione, startled turned to face the person who had spoken and interrupted her tirade. She glared at the figure who was leaning against the wall with an almost calm demeanor, if only they weren't so alert and stiff, as if waiting for an attack. She noticed that they flinched slightly when she glared at them however it was more the sight of her that made the person flinch. Her face, hands and parts of her crumpled white uniform shirt stained with blood giving her the appearance that she had been involved either in a fight or murdered someone, the crimson aura and the wild raw magic whipped around her body, causing her hair to dance around her face, sliding along her cheek almost as if it were caressing the bloodstains lovingly. To see her as she was would frighten even the most seasoned aurors and warriors. She almost looked like a fallen angel set upon revenge, deadly in her beauty.

"Get out of here Malfoy." She hissed at him. "Leave." He didn't move, only smirked.

"Granger, Granger," he patronised her, shaking his head in amusement, yet keeping his eyes on her. "Is that anyway to talk to a prefect?" Hermione crossed her arms across her chest, staining the shirt further, before turning away from the man and back to looking at the sky, her aura still pulsing crimson. Hermione breathed deeply for a few moments trying to reign in her temper before dealing with the next nuisance to plague her. Finally her temper was under more control and the crimson aura that surrounded her disappeared completely.

"Malfoy, don't make me ask you again." She said wearily, not looking back at him.

"You never asked me anything Granger. You tried to order me." He said, somewhat smugly. Hermione tensed slightly, trying to keep her anger in check before gritting her teeth and addressing him again.

"Malfoy, can you get out of here and leave me alone?" She heard him shift on the stones behind her.

"You never said please." Hermione had had enough, she was not going to beg him to leave and she was not going to say please to that ferret. She turned and faced Malfoy, pulling her wand out of its holder and aimed it at the arrogant wizard before her. Malfoy, instantly on guard, immediately stood straighter and did the same. The two stared each other down.

"I will never ever say please to you Malfoy. You do not deserve it." He gave a small laugh.

"That's where you are wrong Granger. You see, there seems to be something that you have forgotten with all that has happened within the last twenty four hours. Do you know what that is?" Hermione didn't answer him, she just kept glaring at him. "You are no longer head girl. In fact you are not even a prefect anymore which means that I am now of superior ranking and can cause you a lot of problems. The first of which is taking points and the second being that I can give you detention for being out after curfew." Hermione noticed that he was grinning at the predicament that she had now found herself in, although she didn't believe that she was in that much trouble anyway.

"You can do that, at least you can try anyway. However, being able to do so and use the privileges of the position doesn't mean that you deserve it, Malfoy. There are standards which a prefect must set and you don't do so." She watched as his smirk slipped a bit and his left eyebrow twitched in mild annoyance. "You don't deserve the position of Prefect, you got that by default." Hermione hardly had anytime to react and throw up a shield charm as a spell came flying towards her.

"Shut up, you stupid mudblood." He hissed at her, firing another spell at her which she deflected with ease this time as she was prepared for it this time. "What do you know?" another spell deflected.

"More then you apparently." She spat, sending a non-verbal spell back at him. "Why in the name of Hades are you attacking me ferret?" Another spell was sent her way at the reminder of his fourth year mishap. She skipped to the side, dodging the spell with ease and it flew over the battlements of the tower. "After all I am just stating the truth. There were no Slytherin males who could take the position of prefect, and since you had already been one before, you were the default choice." Malfoy glared at her and sent another spell her way which she easily blocked.

"Quiet Mudblood." He spat, his anger nearly as palatable as her had been only minutes before he sent another spell at her, this time it was a streak of crimson which she managed to avoid by ducking. Hermione frowned at him, once it registered what curse he had tried to hit her with.

"Expelliarmus! Levicorpus!" Hermione yelled, her spells, fueled by the simmering anger that she still contained, managed to disarm and flip Malfoy upside down with astonishing speed as the spells hit him square in the chest one after the other. Hermione kept her wand pointed at Malfoy and she slowly stalked towards him, her eyes promising death if he even moved or spoke. Malfoy noticed the gleam in her eye as being deathly serious and stopped struggling to be freed from his upside prison.

"Listen well, I shall only say this once." She commanded and through the haze of anger she noticed as Malfoy gulped audibly. Hermione placed her wand back in it's holder for safe keeping. Unknown to her the crimson aura had returned making her appear more ethereal and otherworldly, yet in a dangerous way. "Never attack me again, you will lose." Malfoy snorted in protest quietly, yet she still heard him, her eyes narrowed in response. Hermione purposely allowed her magical defences to drop and the raw magic picked up around her again, beginning to smother Malfoy with the sheer intensity of her power. Her eyes glazed over and her voice gained an echo-like quality to it and to all outward appearances she was in a trance and no longer in control of her actions, however the opposite was actually true. Hermione was in full control.

"I hold more power in my little toe then you ever will Malfoy and this is but a taste of the power I can unleash upon an individual. As I have told you before there are beings out there who are more terrifying then the Dark Lord, beings who make even the strongest scream in the night because of fear." Her magic withdrew back into her body releasing Malfoy from the spell that were binding him. As the levicorpus was released, he fell to the floor near the centre of the tower and landed upon his back, knocking his head upon the flagstones and forced the air to be expelled from his lungs. Hermione walked over and stood next to the deeply breathing man. She placed her foot upon his chest.

"I warned you once about curiosity. Now I warn you again. Go no further. Do not try to taunt me, do not even try to acknowledge whatever information you have learnt." She pressed her foot harder onto his chest, giving as small half smile of satisfaction when she felt him shift beneath her foot to try and escape the ever increasing pressure. "Next time, I will take your memories, and it won't just be the memories of information you learnt, I will take everything from you and leave you with nothing. I will strip your mind until it is naked and exposed and have your memories of the war given to the Ministry. You will be left with nothing. You will be nothing more then just an empty shell, void of all life. The prisoners in Azkaban who have received the Kiss will be more animated and more alive then when I am through with you. Understood?" she asked the pale man beneath her. There was a moment silence as she waited for him to answer, until at last he spoke, but not the words she was expecting.

"You know I can see your knickers from down here." He said, laughter clearly evident in his voice. Hermione growled and pressed her foot harder into his chest, feeling his ribs beginning to protest from the pressure. "Alright!" he almost yelled in panic, not wanting his ribs to be broken, they were already going to be bruised in the morning. "Alright, I get it. I ask again, no more memories. Now get your bloody foot off my chest, you bitch."

Hermione glared at Malfoy making sure he was sincere in his promise and once she had determined that he would be, at least for now, she removed her foot and made her way to the doorway. She heard as Malfoy shifted around behind her. Hermione paused on her way out the door, she turned to face him. She noticed that he had lifted himself up off the ground and shifted so he sat with his back leaning on the wall trying to catch his breath.

"Oh, and Malfoy?" He looked up and glared at her, his hand absentmindedly rubbing at his chest where she had half stood on him. Hermione however was not at all bothered by the glare he sent her and she looked him dead in the eyes. "You are never, ever going to see my underwear again." And without pulling out her wand she cast upon him one more spell before turning and heading out of the tower, not even waiting to hear him fall unconscious, the words echoing around the almost abandoned tower.

"Obliviate."


End file.
